Sons of Apocalypse
by WolfRanger2003
Summary: An ancient evil stirs again, a new conflict comes. In a world where mutants walk a tight rope between their supporters and haters, the X-MEN must act as a buffer between their own and the government agency known as the MRD. Along with the MRD, they must confront SHIELD and their own superpowered team the Avengers, that covets mutant powers. All with Apocalyse lurking in the dark
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do Not Own anything, MARVEL owns it all.

* * *

A/N: Been thinking this one over for a long time now...technically since before I ever heard of Fan Fiction. Note to comics and movie fans, forget what you know before reading this story. Takes place in a different universe than any canon.

Summary: A new group of mutants have appeared, unallied and unstable, what are their motives and who are they loyal to.

A/N 2: First major edit on this story. Reworked Chapter's 1 and 2 making them a bit more detailed.

* * *

-Rocky Mountains-

The smells of the forest were cataloged and filed away as he charged through the trees. He'd passed the destroyed township, it's inhabitants either fled or lying dead on the streets.

"Go stop him from hurting anyone else." The voice of the old man still echoed around his head, the pain and anguish still visible on his soot covered face, "He is Caine and you are Able...you must be your brother's keeper. No one else can stop him." He didn't know how much of what the man said were true, and what was merely maddened grief.

He didn't know how long he ran, the sun and moon interchanged many times. As he went he came upon destroyed campsites, wrecked vehicles, and ransacked buildings.

After a time he came upon a second town, this time his brother had not yet left. His twin, a beast like him. A mass of muscle and fur, teeth and claws. Blood red energy arced across his body as he clutched a body. Roaring out his challenge he barreled into his brother, the body being dropped to the hard ground.

As they rolled across the street his brother's red draining energy lashed out at him, but was countered by his own blue energy. He pinned his brother down, holding him until he wore himself out. Sensing his intention the twin lashed out with his legs kicking him away. Righting himself he slid across the street. Picking up a felled pole he swung it knocking his brother back to the ground.

Aiming to slam it down on him, and pounding him into submission he raised up the pole. A girl's voice yelled in his head, "Duck!"

Dropping the pole he rolled to the left as a bolt of red energy shot past him. He knew the energy would not really harm him, but it would still hurt a lot. Looking up he spotted his brother dash around a corner and out of sight. He was about to give chase when he heard a woman cry out.

Turning he found a woman clutching an unmoving child. Growling he lumbered toward the woman and child, the boy's breathing was labored, and his heart beat was unsteady. He recognized the damage done by his brother's bolt. Without a word and ignoring the woman's terrified expression he reached out a glowing blue claw. The woman tried to jerk her child away, but he did not relent, reaching past her he placed the claw on the boy's chest. The small body seized as the blue energy arced across his small form.

A moment later he removed the claw, and the boy's breathing and heart rate returned to normal. Turning he loped off following the dissipating scent of his brother, determined to stop him.

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

"Logan, you going to get to the War Room sometime today?" The voice of Scott Summers called out over the school's intercom.

James Howlett, also known as Logan, but better known as The Wolverine grumbled as he got out of bed, his side still ached from his latest encounter with Sabertooth. Some days he cursed having a half brother, others he couldn't be bothered to remember he had one.

Checking his clock he realized he was late for the Trask Industries demonstration, not that he cared about it. All he cared about was how to take the damn thing down if Trask proved less reformed than he acted.

Looking around his room he noticed the doors to the joined bedrooms were open. Normally the room he slept in would be common living space, but with two kids that needed supervision he made it his room. Laura his clone slept in the room on the left, the light was off but he knew the sheets would need replacing from the scraps trailing out the door. The trail led to the right room, Daken's room. Daken unlike Laura was actually Logan's son, and only recently been retrieved. Logan still didn't know who had murdered Daken's mother and kidnapped him, but it was only a matter of time.

"Hey Wolvie!" His door swung open as Jubilee stormed in, he growled at the fact the terrible twosome had left the door unlocked "Logan, Summers is looking for you."

"I know kid, heard him the first time." Pulling his shirt on the oldest X-Man turned to his pseudo adopted daughter, "He send you to get me?"

"Actually he sent us," Jubilee was gently pushed aside allowing Daken and Laura entered. The two twelve year olds didn't move far from the door, keeping Jubilee between them and Logan. Laura glanced at the door, "Sorry...we forgot to lock it when we left."

"Yeah, it was all Laura's fault." Daken sneered at her then turned to Logan, "Come on old man, I know Summers is a pain in your rear but could you just come when called he's more annoying than those brats we have to call classmates..."

Laura jabbed an elbow into her half-brother, "Would you shut up baby brother, they're not that bad..."

A smirk crossed Daken's face, "Oh, you just say that cause Julian asked you to be his lab partner...Laura and Julian sitting in a tree..."

He was cut off from the jab as Laura's claws sprang from her hand pointed at his face, "I dare you to finish that sentence."

Logan averted his eyes as sparks shot between his bickering son and clone, "Hey, now I know why Jean sent me." Jubilee was the only person in the mansion who would willingly step between two clawed pre-teens.

"Laura, Daken...get to class. Either of you late, and you'll be running drills in the danger room...at my setting." That got the squirts running, he glanced at Jubilee, "That goes double for you little lady."

Jubilee snorted, "Yeah, that might have worked when I was like twelve." Contrary to her retort he noticed her quick steps as she left the faculty quarters.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Logan entered the War Room, next to Cerebro this was the most important room in mansion. The room was abuzz with activity, a larger number of MRD troopers and agents were checking news feeds and contacting field offices than normal. Two agents were keeping a cadre of Trask suits company in an out of the way corner.

Seeing Kitty Pryde running by he reached out and caught her by the elbow, "Oh, Logan...Scott is looking for you."

"Know that darlin, just wondering what the hubbub is about." Logan released her and began taking account of what was happening.

Shadowcat huffed, "We were just finishing the new Sentinel test run when alarms started blaring...Combat Team Bravo got hit by the mutant they were tracking. They figured out the path they were taking, tried to get ahead of them."

"Guess this one turned the hunters into the hunted." Logan noticed Scott leaning over the holo table as reports were handed to him. Scott Summers, better known as Cyclops, was focused on the report. "Hey Specs, where's Chuck?"

Summers turned to him, "The Professor is monitoring the situation from Cerebro."

"What exactly happened? I thought that mutant was going to be an easy collar."

Adjusting his shielding glasses Summers sighed, "That was what the Professor and Jean thought, he was relatively calm, then for no reason he started tearing apart half the northwest." He glanced toward the suites, "To top it off we had to halt the tests. Trasks representatives aren't happy."

"Grreat, you know how I feel about Sentinels Scott. Trask may have reformed after the MRD raids in the seventies, but no one does a turn around just like that." Logan leaned against the monitor table which was displaying a 3D model of the school's grounds, "So the emergency?"

Summers motioned an officer to pass a folder, "From Bravo's after action reports there is actually two mutants involved both appear similar in powers...though the first one they encountered tried wiping out their squad, the second swept through healing the wounded then continued chasing the first."

"Well, guess we got a good samaritan out there...why didn't Chuck or Red see there were two of them?" Logan opened the folder.

Cyclops sighed, "They're twins...minor telepaths that until a few days ago shared a psychic link. Something shattered that link, after that they began moving east."

Flipping through the report folder he slapped it down, "So you need a tracking squad, one capable of handling these two" Turning to a monitor three columns of codenames began scrolling, he began flicking several names into a fourth column, "We can be there in three hours with some MRD support from the Mojave Base."

Nodding Summers reached over and flicked two more names onto the team, "Take Warpath and Caliban as well, sure you want to take Daken and Laura they've never done field work since their rescues."

"I'd feel better keeping them within reach, no problem with me taking Jean?" Logan sneered at him.

"Come off it old timer, you better get Hank and Kurt before their classes begin."

* * *

Logan was the first to arrive at the hangar, shortly followed by Jean and Hank. The former Marvel Girl and Beast had gone through preflight checks as they awaited the rest of the team. Caliban, a mutant who'd suffered at the hands of Apocalypse slunk into the room quietly. Logan nodded at him as he slipped onto the plane, Caliban wouldn't need a mission briefing...no doubt he'd been in Cerebro with Xavier while he was tracking these mutants.

Next to arrive was Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler appeared with his familiar bamf sound, a second bamf revealed he'd been followed by Talia...Nocturn as some had started calling her clutched at Nightcrawler's tail. Kurt frowned at the small blue skinned girl, "Now Talia, ve have spoken of this. Ze are too young, go play vith Megan and the other preschoolers...I'll be home before ze know it."

Logan winced as Kurt's tail spasmed, the girl must have responded by holding on tighter. The Wolverine was about to step in when the two New Mutant members of their team showed up. James had started snickering at Kurt's dilemma, but Rahne moved to the girl's side.

"Come now Talia, is that any way to be?" Rahne gently pried the girl's three fingers loose enough for Nightcrawler to gently remove his tail, "There we go...I saw Megan upstairs she's looking for you." Talia smiled and once released bamfed away.

"Ah, thank you fraulein, she doesn't like to be separated from me for long...if only her mother wasn't..." Nightcrawler sighed and moved to sit on a stack of crates with his thoughts.

James reached Logan's side, "What's up with Kurt?"

"Talia's birthday is next week...she'll be six, and Wanda hasn't asked to see her once." Wolverine snorted, "Personally I think it'd be more likely for him to let her grandparents see the kid before her mother."

Rahne growled, "I thought we all agreed not to mention the Scarlet Witch."

Logan noticed his own brats enter the hangar, "You're right Rahne, can you get Jean and Beast...time for a briefing and launch." As Wolfsbane entered the Blackbird he noticed the two twelve year olds goofing off. "Hey you two, stop dragging your feet." At his command they scrambled across the hanger and squeezed into the circle forming next to the Blackbird's ramp. The Wolverine was in full gear his hood and mask on, he looked sternly at the two kids, "You'll remain with the jet during this mission."

James Proudstar aka Warpath glanced at the two kids before turning to his teacher and mentor, "Wolverine, what's the emergency?"

Logan showed two still shots to the group of mutants, "These two have left a path of destruction that spans nearly thrity miles, and left two towns in ruins."

Hank McCoy sighed, "Mutant PR nightmare in the making...any idea what set them off?"

Jean Grey took over, "No, the Professor has had difficulties in reaching their minds. One is filled with conflicting emotions, the other is filled with hate and malice. From what we could gather one is chasing the other, and they are brothers."

Rahne Sinclair huffed as she glanced at the report, "Great, their powers don't work on each other."

"Alright team, we'll plan enroute, a team from Mojave base has already been sent to meet us. After we calm them down, they can apprehend them and place them in dampening fields. We'll decide what to do with them after that." Logan headed up the ramp, the rest off the team following, except for Kurt who bamfed into the co-pilot seat.

* * *

-Outside Big Sky Montana-

Caliban led the team into a clearing, "They're coming...somethings strange...they know we are here, but something is driving them to come faster."

"Looking for more people to attack maybe." Logan turned to Jean, "Well Red, can you get through to either of them?"

Focusing on the two charging mutants Jean's eyes snapped forward, "Rahne move!"

Wolfsbane had a moment to dodge as a large black wolf like creature crashed through the treeline barreling at her. Getting back to her feet she noticed the mutant had turned back and was charging at her once more. Nightcrawler appeared at her side, and a moment later they were in a tree.

Nightcrawler was about to ask if she was alright when their tree shook as the large form of the mutant slammed into it, "It zit my imagination or iz ze getting bigger?"

"Not your imagination Kurt." Wolfsbane transformed into her transitional form and leapt from the tree landing on the unknown mutant's back. She'd just gripped his fur when arcs of red energy lashed out at her. With a scream she was repelled backward.

"Rahne!" James was about to go to catch his teammate when the second mutant crashed through the trees already arcing blue energy coursing around his body. Catching Rahne mid flight he rolled easily dropping her on the ground before launching himself back at his twin.

Logan turned to Beast, "Hank...any ideas?"

Dr. Mccoy frowned, "From the reports from the MRD team the red energy causes some sort of trauma to the nervous system...the blue seems to repair the damage and heals any minor injuries."

Wolverine extended his claws, "Right, ignore the blue...avoid the red." Logan watched James get thrown to the ground convulsing after trying to distract the first mutant, "Crap."

Suddenly the second mutant ripped a chunk out of the first causing massive damage to hs twin. As the first mutant slowly recovered the second turned to James. Picking Warpath up he shocked him with the blue energy then tossed him next to Rahne.

The second mutant glared at them, seemingly to wordlessly tell them to stay out of it. The first mutant then barreled into him and then chased each other out of the clearing.

Logan turned to where Rahne had recovered and was checking on Warpath, "Caliban, help Wolfsbane and Warpath back to the Blackbird...we'll figure something to stop them."

* * *

-Big Sky, Montana-

Chaos erupted as two massive forms hurled themselves into the street. Cars skidded and swerved to avoid the behemoths, both were snarling masses of fur, claws, and teeth. The only distinguishing feature between the pair was the color of their fur, one a reddish brown, the other a dark brown.

The dark brown mass snarled, swiping sparking claws at its twin, who dodged the strike and picked up an empty car slamming it down on its brother. Panting the reddish brown mass backed away, ready for when his brother recovered.

As he calmed slightly a faint voice echoed in his head, "Move!"

Jumping aside he avoided the car flying back at him, snarling he lunged at his brother once more, but was stopped by an invisible force that held him. Growling he struggled against the force, he barely noticed his brother was similarly restrained.

"Vat are ze?" A blue furred elf like creature appeared in a cloud that smelled of rotten eggs, "Easy now friend, Ze Nightcrawler means ye no harm, just here to talk."

The elf like person attached some sort of collar to him, then flipped over to his brother attaching a similar collar to him. Growling he felt his body reverting, he couldn't ignore the exhaustion any longer, he collapsed as the invisible force let go.

* * *

-Blackbird-

They were enroute back to the mansion with two new passengers, the team was surprised at what had occurred. After activating the dampening collars both had shrunk, which was expected, but what wasn't expected was that the two appeared to be no older than eleven. They had both shrunk in size and physically reverted to children, only their hair color identified which was which.

As Hank and Kurt flew the jet Logan and the others looked over their new guests, "So...what do we do now?" The question had come from Rahne.

"Their minds are open...mostly, there seems to be mental blocks throughout their minds. A powerful telepath had to have set up these blocks." Jean placed a hand on each boys forehead, "Anger...fear...mother...father...death...destruction."

Her eyes flew open, "Apocalypse!"

* * *

A/N: So that's the first chapter, tell me what you think, more information will come in future chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do Not Own anything, MARVEL owns it all.

A/N: Been thinking this one over for a long time now...technically since before I ever heard of Fan Fiction. Note to comics and movie fans, forget what you know before reading this story. Takes place in a different universe than any canon.

Summary: A new group of mutants have appeared, unallied and unstable, what are their motives and who are they loyal to.

A/N 2: First major edit on this story. Reworked Chapter's 1 and 2 making them a bit more detailed. As a note on this chapter I feel the new ending leads to the next chapter more fluidly.

* * *

-Blackbird-

Everyone on the jet turned to Jean after her announcement. Apocalypse was one of the oldest enemies of the X-Men, rearing his ugly face when the original first class had formed X-Factor to combat the ever growing threat of mutant terrorist organizations. He had tortured and and experimented on Warren Worthington III, a former avian mutant that been mutilated during the massacre of the Morlocks. Originally codenamed Angel, Warren had been renamed Archangel and became the Horsemen Death.

Caliban, from his shadowed corner of the jet quivered, "Master Apocalyps?" He edged closer to the group, "They're like me?"

"No...something else," Jean moved to the one with reddish brown hair, "This one is different...his mind is his own...though buried beneath memory and instinct." She placed a hand on his forehead, "Pain, loss, and grief...betrayal. He's too exhausted for coherent thought."

Rahne after strapping James into his seat walked over to the others, "James has a concussion and a couple cracked ribs, but otherwise is fine." Glancing at the two prone boys on the floor of the jet she began rubbing her arms, "...Anyone else notice that one was kind of focused on me?"

"Noticed it darlin, he ignored everything we threw at him...also noticed the second one didn't enter the clearing until you were hit by that red energy." Logan indicated Caliban, "Caliban noticed the second was stalking around the edge of the clearing. He tried to talk to him, but when you were hit he reacted."

Jean switched focus to the dark brown haired twin, "Hmm...he's got more mental blocks than the other, some sort of programming at a young age. There's a buried subconscious command...Rahne's image...and I don't know how but her scent." Jean retracted her hand, "He also has memories of killing dozens of people..." She looked disgusted at the child, "...he's quite proud of it."

"He also exhausted?" Logan tensed.

Jean shook her head, "No, the dampening collar is slowing his healing factor...he did just get hit by a car."

"Hmph, if I didn't know any better think that one took lessons from the Hulk." Logan turned to Rahne, "I'm not sure why you're on some mental hitlist kiddo, but until we figure it out I want you to keep your distance from that one."

Rahne nodded, "How about the other?"

Jean returned her focus to the first twin, "I'm not sure...your image and scent are cataloged in his mind, but so are all ours...unlike his brother there doesn't appear to be any subconscious commands." Jean paused, "Wait...here it is...buried deeper than his brother. No commands, that are active."

"So he's not as dangerous as the other." Logan turned to the cockpit, "Hank how long till we're home?"

The Beast turned back to him, "We're over the manor now...Logan you're not going to like this."

Moving to the front The Wolverine looked out the window, "...what's going...damn just what we don't need."

The others questioned what was wrong, it was Hank who answered, "Seems we have some guests...a SHIELD quinjet is parked on the front lawn."

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

The Blackbird hovered into its hanger behind the cloaking waterfall, quickly landing. The team disembarked to find Charles Xavier waiting along with Summers, and two MRD officers. Xavier watched as Logan and Hank each dropped one of the boys onto stretchers and waited for them to be secured and moved to the medical wing.

Summers frowned, "Kids? I thought the reports said they were full grown mutants."

"Yeah, apparently they transform and appear older while in that form." Logan walked over with Jean and Kurt, "Wasn't a hard apprehension, keep the dark haired one under guard though...he's a killer."

Jean glared at Logan, "It's not his fault Logan, he seemed to be acting based on some form of programing."

"Yeah, and that programing has left a trail of bodies at least two hundred miles long." Logan lit up a cigar, "How'd we miss something like this?"

Summers frowned, "What are you talking about?"

His wife frowned, "After losing consciousness their minds were open books, except for a few blocked sections. They are confused of their origins...the only clue we have is some fluid filled tanks in which they heard voices whispering to them. Beyond that the SHIELD emblem is burned into their minds as the first clear image. After that it's a lot of forests and dark caves."

"Guess Fury has some question to answer," Logan growled, "That why his mini-jet was parked on the front lawn?"

Xavier shook his head, "No, apparently he caught wind of the new Sentinel models. He doesn't like that we kept his people out of the loop. I reminded his that we do not answer to him."

"I've told you Professor, my concerns are purely altruistic." Nick Fury entered the hangar flanked by four SHIELD agents two in suits the other two in SHIELD's standard combat stealth suits. Fury nodded his bald head to Wolverine, "Logan...long time no see."

Logan sneered, "How's the eye Fury."

"Enough Mr. Howlett," Xavier turned to the agents, "Fury, is there something else or have you forgotten the way out?"

Nick Fury nodded, "Actually there is...the kids you just collected. They aren't your problem, turn them over and we'll see they're properly taken care of."

Summers moved to intercept Logan then turned to Fury, "Explain Fury...make it quick and make it good or my friend here might just take your remaining eye."

Sighing Fury leaned against a ground crew console, "This started happening about forty to fifty years ago. Most I only know from my predecessors notes...and the few meetings I've had with the first one."

"First one?" Xavier was actively reading Fury's mind, "This first one is still in your custody?"

"Yes, in the cube. He's the resident of the deepest cell in that place. The cube was actually built to hold him." Fury pulled a holo emitter from his belt, the image of an old man restrained into a wheelchair floated in the air, "No name, no identification, and no known relatives save for one...En Sabah Nur."

Every head in the room turned to the image after the revelation, "You're sure?"

"Not really in the beginning. Back then no one knew who Apocalypse was, no one besides Mastermind and Sinister even knew the man existed. Not until recently had we acquired a DNA sample, and began testing it against similar individuals, both alive and dead." Fury noted their confusion, "Something our old friend here said. When I asked him why his father allowed him to be imprisoned for so long, he merely said his state of being didn't matter. Death wouldn't stop what was to come, then he started talking gibberish about Ragnarok and the twin wolves devouring the sun and the moon."

Rahne frowned from where she was standing beside the plane, "Twin wolves?"

Fury turned to her, "Yes Miss Sinclair...you can understand why these two concern me. What did they look like while attacking all those towns?"

Bowing her head Rahne couldn't hide her discomfort, the pair had looked like her in the transitional form. A thought had come to her, "Sir you said Sinister..." She turned to the older X-Men, "You don't think?"

The head of SHIELD frowned, "Something I'm missing?"

Scott Summers ran a hand through his hair, "About twelve years ago Rahne and her classmates took the Blackbird out for a joyride. Rahne had only been here a few weeks Moira had discovered her during a trip home to Scotland. Emma had just folded the Massachusetts Academy and brought the Hellions to join our school. The two groups of kids decided they needed an adventure to put their animosity aside."

Fury looked at the group of mutants, "I'm guessing their little joyride went bad?"

"Yes," Summers continued, "When I found the Blackbird gone I activated the tracking beacon and issued an alert to the MRD, Air Force, and civilian air authority. I didn't realize it was the kids who'd taken the jet. Air Force interceptors forced them to land near the Canadian border. After they were stationary for several hours we arrived in the mini jet." Summers looked to Rahne, "Rahne, Sam Guthrie, and Danielle Moonstar were missing from the Blackbird landing site...the others were all unconscious. Before we could begin searching the three of them emerged from the wood. Sam and Dani were relatively unharmed, a few scratches and bruises. Rahne though was in a bad way, Kurt grabbed her and got her to the nearest hospital which was only a few miles away."

Jean turned to Hank, "Get to the lab and test those kids DNA...if they are what we think."

Hank nodded then leapt away without a further word. Xavier steepled his fingers, "Apparently Fury you may be wrong...it appears these boys are indeed mutants, and as such are our responsibility."

Fury frowned, "Even if they are genetically mutants, they are vat grown weapons."

A snarl from Logan's side drew attention to Laura, the Wolverine placed a hand on her head to quiet her, "Doesn't matter Fury...they're kids. Minors, even mutant minors can't be held responsible for actions when they have no positive guidance."

"Yet even you said one of them, maybe both are killers." Fury frowned, "Hope you know what you're do...ing"

Alarms began blaring throughout the hangar

Alpha Alert!

Unregistered individuals in secure sectors. Repeat. Unregistered individuals in secure sectors.

A second alarm began blaring.

Omega Alert!

Bio-electrical discharge detected. Repeat. Bio-electrical discharge detected.

Xavier turned to the X-Men, "Move out, keep them from reaching the surface."

* * *

-Secure Infirmary-

"Wake up!" The familiar voice of the girl echoed in his head, "Wake up...you have to get up, he's already moving."

His eyes snapped open to bright lights and the smell of blood. Sitting up he found the collar around his neck unlocked, looking to his right he finds the nearly unconscious medic dropping a small black square. Leaping from the table he began to transform, but halted halfway. A familiar burning in his gut warned him against going any further.

Blue energy arced around his hand, which he placed on the weakening medic's shoulder. As he recovered the man pointed out an open door, "He went that way...I hit the alarm, no body is ready for that."

Growling he launched himself through the door, his blue energy whipping out in all directions. People moved about the hallway tending to wounded, the damage a trail easier to follow than his brother's scent.

"Hey baby brother!" turning he finds his brother standing at the end of a hall, transformed into a larger form he's holding a large blue furred humanoid against a wall. His red energy coursing through the humanoid draining his life force to aid his brother's healing. Snarling he took to all fours barreling down the hall. As he collided with his brother he fired a bolt of blue energy at the humanoid as they tumbled through the door.

His brother lashed out at him as he punched him. They tumbled across the circular floor, barely aware of the door snapping close or the numerous panels opening to reveal various weapons.

His brother snickered as the weapons began to power up, "So baby brother...think you're going to beat me?" His brother's form twisted as he began to grow.

Several beams of energy were emitted, while his brother dodged them he smiled as they struck him. With the temporary boost of energy he began to grow, "Yes brother...I do."

* * *

-Outside Danger Room-

Rahne and James Proudstar followed the damage and strewn out MRD officers to the doors of the danger room. Hank stood panting, his hand holding the doors emergency lock, "They're inside...I was able to guide them inside. Though in truth they seemed focused only on each other, the rest of us were mostly ignored."

A loud bang from the door revealed one of the twins wanted out of the room, "Seems our new friends aren't fans of the Danger Room."

The click of heels on metal floor announced the arrival of Emma Frost. The White Queen motioned to the door, "The struggle is over Hank, you can release the door."

With a frown The Beast let go of the lever allowing the door to open. Standing in the doorway was the reddish brown wolf creature, his brother lay prone on the floor behind him his face a mask of rage.

Emma's face paled, "Rahne he's about..." before she finished Rahne moved catching the wolf boy as he collapsed forward, "...to fall."

"Dr. McCoy!" Rahne lifted her hand from the boy's back revealing a red sticky substance.

Hank moved to examine the boy, finding four deep gashes on his back, "Take him to the infirmary immediately."

Rahne picked up the boy and rushed down the hall, James quick on her heels. After the two younger X-Men had departed the White Queen turned to the remaining twin, "Now, what to do about you?"

His only response was to snarl at the telepath, "Come now boy we both know you can't move...you may have ripped you brother open, but he severed your spine."

The dark twin sneered, "Baby brother knows I'll get back up in a few minutes...then I'll pay him back for this."

"No, you won't." The White Queen used her powers to send the boy into a coma.

Hank snorted, "Was that really necessary?"

Emma stood wiping her hands, "Yes...tell Charles to hand this one over to Fury."

"Why?" Hank moved to check the boy.

The White Queen narrowed her gaze on the boy, "Because his target was and always has been Rahne...he knows they are connected, and plans to kill her."

The Beast looked surprised, "How?"

Emma sighed, "He was programmed with the knowledge...his brother is not programmed like him." She moved towards the door, "Didn't you think it strange two creations of Apocalypse are so different.

* * *

-Xavier's Office-

Professor Xavier sat with several of his oldest students in a meeting that could mean major changes. Henry Wainwright and three other upper rank MRD officers also sat in on the meeting. Charles turned to the one person who didn't look like she belonged in the meeting. Emma Frost appeared more like she was ready to go out for the evening than an instructor.

Though he could not doubt her ethic, she was the most invested instructor at the school. To the point she took any failure by the students as a personal failure, and was attached to each of her students to the point she practically replaced their mothers.

This was a two way attachement of course, one they had all been first hand witness two when she mentally lobotomized Fitzroy after the brutal murder of the Hellions. Following the death of most the Hellions Emma and the surviving students of the Massachusetts Academy came to the Salem Institute to make a new home among the X-Men.

Sighing he spoke so all could hear, "You want us to turn the boy over to SHIELD...why?"

Emma sipped a glass of water before turning to one of the MRD officers, "Major Wilkes, how many men are in medical following the incident in the sublevels?"

Major Wilkes looked uncomfortable, often attending such meetings but rarely being addressed, "Um...seven have severe injuries, but about twenty eight are registered as under observation or on reduced duties."

"Thank you Major," she turned back to the others, "We are ill equipped to hold someone like this, especially seeing he somehow broke out of his collar."

Hank shook his head, "Didn't break out...spoke with the medic in charge. He was acting under normal protocols and removed the collar, we don't know how he recovered so quickly."

"Still the matter of he brainwashing." Logan leaned against a bookcase, "Can't let him roam around if he's got kill calls going off all the time."

"Actually Logan it's more like programming than brainwashing...this was done when his mind was still developing." Jean frowned, "Though I find it strange it was Rahne that he was sent to attack. I would find it more likely for Apocalyps to send an assassin after the Professor or Warren...even Caliban would be a more logical target."

Wainwright spoke up, "Actually...if what Scott thinks is true it makes perfect sense." Everyone looked at the human, "Apocalyps made those boys for some reason...maybe he only meant to make one and the other was a mistake, but they're part of something. What better way to prove one's loyalty and willingness to do anything...kill someone who no normal person would willingly harm."

"Does it hold the same importance when the act was done against the doer's will?" Emma looked hard at the man, for a human his resistance to telepathy was uncommon.

Wainwright frowned, "I was watching the security feed from the hangar...kept Fury and his lackeys under watch the whole time they were here...after he mentioned the connection to that first one I had the slicers do a bit of poking around. One of the crimes he was accused of was matricide...looking through the linked files found they were all guilty of that crime."

Xavier bowed his head, "This programming isn't something that can bee undone, as Jean said it was introduced as the boy developed and grew. There is nothing we can do for him, but perhaps we can salvage the other."

Emma smiled, "His programming is mostly knowledge based...it seems to be linked to how he catalogues external stimuli. There are gaps that appear similar to the mental blocks in his brother...perhaps he was meant to receive the same programming, but something interfered with its implantation."

As everyone was taking that in a lab tech entered and walked to the third MRD officer, "Sorry Dr. Saiko, we were under the impression Miss Sinclair was bringing the resualts."

"What gave you that impression?" Scott said from his seat next to Jean.

The tech frowned, "She came by the lab and said you sent her for the resualts."

Dr. Saiko frowned at the report, "I do hope she hasn't looked at the resaults yet."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do Not Own anything, MARVEL owns it all.

* * *

A/N: Not sure how this story is being recieved, but the action will pick up a bit in this chapter.

Summary: A new group of mutants have appeared, unallied and unstable, what are their motives and who are they loyal to.

* * *

-Avenger's Tower-

Nick Fury stormed into the common room of the tower, currently occupied by Stark and Cap. The co-leaders of the Avengers were locked in a what appeared to be a staring contest, "Excuse me gentlemen, but if I could tear you away from your obviously riveting conversation."

The billionaire and super soldier turned to him and spoke in unison, "What?"

"I retrieved one of the two mutants that was causing trouble out west...he's being transported to the Fridge." Fury moved to the sofa and fell back into the seat, "I was surprised they didn't fight, seemed happy to see the back of the kid."

"Kid?" Captain America frowned, "Those things were kids?"

Stark brought up a holoscreen showing the back of a quinnjet where a boy lay on stretcher with a dampening collar on, "Guess you're not taking any chances?"

Fury shook his head, "Not after they tore through Xavier's place. Seems that one woke up in their secure infirmary, and got a hold of their MRD boys remote. Deactivated his own collar, and went on a mission to cause as much damage as possible. His brother woke up after his own collar was deactivated."

"So what's their story?" Cap watched the video closely, noticing the boy was very still.

Tony ran a face recognition program that came up empty, "That's not possible...not a single image on the entire internet. That's unheard of in this day. Nothing even in SHIELD's CCTV archives."

Cap turned to Fury, "Can't believe the X-Men just turned him over."

"Well they weren't going to originally, but after a deep scan by half the school's telepaths and two failed attempts at reprogramming they compromised. We secure him, and share all data on these unknowns."

Stark looked surprised, "What we getting for the deal...the short stick?"

"We get to contract X-Men into the Avengers...as long as they're over twenty-one and in control of their powers." Fury sighed, "Also...I think we'll have to let them know about the girl."

Stark and Cap shared a concerned look, Fury frowned, "What now?"

Stark cleared his throat, "That was what we were discussing when you came in...she's gone, disappeared from the foster family we placed her with. Maria has already gone with a team to investigate."

Fury summed up the situation in two words, "Well shit."

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

Rahne watched through the observation window as the medics tended to the wounds on the boy's back. The gashes had already begun healing by the time they arrived at the infirmary, but the medics still wanted him kept in the clean room to avoid possible infections.

James shook his head at her side, "Kid is sure tuff...Dr. McCoy said he snapped his brother's spine." Warpath moved closer to the glass as he noticed the medic swabbing the wounds with antibiotics, "Think it was smart sending the other away?"

Clutching an envelope Rahne nodded, "Professor X said there's nothing we could do for him." Placing the envelope on the ledge of the observation window she turned away, "Can...can you look at that please."

Looking at his teammate James picked up the envelope, "What's this?"

Huffing she rubbed her arms, "I got the lab tech to give me a copy of the DNA test...they think Mr. Summers asked me to get it." She avoided eye contact, "The look from the techs...I'm pretty sure I know the answer."

Frowning James ripped the envelope open and pulled out the pages held by a folded blue paper. His eyes scanned the papers his expression darkening, "How the hell is this possible?"

"What?" Rahne grabbed the pages, "What did that monster do to him?"

The report verified what she feared, the boys were her sons...at least genetically. Yet beyond that the test listed several other known mutants as possible matches as relatives, none of them of any relation to her let alone each other. The second greatest genetic donner, and probable father was the mutant known as Apocalyps, following him genetic material from Wolverine, White Queen, and Gambit was present along with small markers from several others.

"We were hoping to let you know in a gentler way." The two young mutants turned to fine Emma Frost and Logan at the door, "We were as shocked as you Rahne. Personally I feel violated and concerned about how Mr. Sinister acquired my genetic material."

Logan rubbed his brow, "For some reason I'm not surprised Sinister got mine, seems every black ops and para military group on the planet has it." Seeing Rahne wasn't comforted by that he continued, "Don't look so down kid."

She looked up at her former teachers, "How am I supposed to look?" Growling she moved to stand in front of Logan, "That psychotic creep violated me...stole parts of my body...he made those two...and to top it all off he programed one to kill me on site."

Emma placed a hand on her shoulder, "Rahne, no one is forcing this on you. This one is unaware of your connection, he never needs to know."

The young shapeshifter frowned, "No...I...I can't do that." She turned back to the window, "I know what it feels like...to not be wanted."

James smiled, "Well, don't know about the rest of you but I'm feeling left out..." he waited for their attention to turn to him, "...I'm apparently not noteworthy enough to be included in that gene soup."

* * *

-Location Unknown-

"Helicarrier, this is Jet 553, reporting system anomaly. Initiating emergency landing procedures." The Pilot began landing, flicking off the locator beacon, "Will reestablish communications after system restart."

"Roger 553, we're registering your locator has been switched off." The Helicarrier communication officer's voice crackled over the radio.

As the jet touched down the pilot placed his hand against the console causing sparks to arc out of the panels, "I said I'd reestablish communications later." Standing up he turned to the two guards flanking the sleeping boy, "Well brothers, seems it's time we left the spy game."

The left guard stood, his body expanding ripping apart the SHIELD uniform he wore revealing scales. The right guard tossed aside his helmet allowing cephalopod like tentacles to unwrap from his head. The pilot walked over to the boy, "Squid...if you'd be so kind, wake up baby brother."

The tentacle headed mutant leaned forward and allowed two of his tentacles to attached at the boy's temples, "No good Arc, the White Bitch did something to keep him out...I'll need a power boost before undoing this."

Glaring Arc turned to his scaled brother, "Megasaur, you'll carry him...we'll retreat to home. Father will know what to do." He then turned back to Squid, "Brother if you would."

Squid spit a black inky substance on each of their heads, "Not even that blasted computer will find us now, it should last until you arrive back home."

Arc nodded then left the jet followed by his brothers. As they walked away from the jet they began splitting off in different directions. Shortly after they had vanished sparks arced across the fuselage briefly, followed by a deafening blast. The explosion left a crater with little evidence the jet had ever been their.

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

Professor X watched as the White Queen and Jean Grey sat on either side of the twin they had kept. His heart was heavy with the decision to turn the other twin over to SHIELD, but the safety of the school was paramount. He had personally tried to undo the programing the boy was under, but it was impossible to help someone who didn't want it. He'd learned that lesson from multiple encounters with Juggernaut, Sabretooth, and Erik.

Emma smiled as she turned to Charles, "Found him...seems to be hiding in his own memories."

"I've tried to make contact, but he keeps retreating deeper into the memory...I think he's frightened." Jean retreated from the child's mind, "If I push too hard I'm concerned the programming he has been afflicted with will react."

Emma grimaced, "Yes, well I've seen what could happen, I agree we should avoid anything that could make him transform."

Professor X sighed then sent out a mental call. Moments later Rahne and Sam Guthrie arrived. Sam spoke up, "What's up Professor?"

Xavier sighed, "We need to enter his mind...Rahne you've said you wish to accept your connection to this child."

The shapeshifter nodded, "Yes Professor...what do you need me to do?"

"We'll take your consciousness into his, his brother was programmed with your identity as a subconscious known quantity." Jean tensed, "We believe this one has that same knowledge...but unlike his brother is not programmed to attack you."

Sam stepped up, "What you need me for?"

Emma smiled, "It will take the three of us focused to take Rahne into his subconscious where he's retreated. If we are wrong and he's got latent programming to attack Rahne..." She looked sympathetically at the young woman, "...he may attack before we can react. You will have to stop him before he begins to transform."

Rahne turned to Sam, "Guthrie, don't hesitate. If don't aim to kill you'll not be able to restrain him."

"Right he's got Logan's healing factor." Sam smiled cheerily, "Don't worry darlin, I'm sure everything will be fine." 

* * *

Moments later Rahne was standing in a forest clearing with a cabin with her three telepathic teachers standing around her. They were caught off guard by the pristine calmness of the clearing. It reminded them of something from the Disney movies they let the younger students watch on the weekends. Besides the sounds of birdsong and chittering tree rodents the clearing seemed empty.

Rahne frowned, "Where is he?"

"Think Rahne, he is using pure instinct...the same instincts that you have to constantly control." Xavier motioned towards the cabin, "Where would you hide?"

Growling Rahne transformed into her wolf form. Trotting towards the cabin she began to whine at a crawl space below the porch. A low whining growl answered. Rahne backed away with a leap, lowering herself and raising her tail swinging it in a playful manner. Moments later a smaller wolf cautiously emerged from the crawl space. Watching the older wolf curiously the little one edged further out of its hiding place.

Jean mentally connected with Rahne, "Get him to return to human Rahne, we need to help him push his feral instincts back."

In an instant Rahne became her transitional form and rolled into a sitting pose. The little wolf paused in his approach, and tilted his head in confusion. Wolfsbane pounded the ground next to her, and whined forcefully. With a shake of his head the little wolf began trotting toward her, as he approached he took on his transitional form as well.

Emma smiled, "Well done, now just one more step."

Standing Rahne turned away from the child wolf creature and began walking towards the three telepaths, as she went she slowly returned to human form. Without looking back she knew he was following, within a few steps from her teachers she felt a small hand slip into hers. Smiling she looked down at a nearly human boy, his canines passed his bottom lip, and his reddish brown hair was shaggy and running down his back.

As they approached the teachers Emma knelt down, "Well aren't you a handsome young man."

The boy ducked behind Rahne's hip and glanced at the trio of telepaths cautiously. Rahne gently pulled the boy in front of her, "No need to be scared. They're here to help."

Xavier knelt next to Emma, "Well little one, perhaps you would feel better after introductions. I am Professor Charles Xavier...I run the school we are currently in." He noticed the boy's frown, "This is not real, we are currently inside your mind...though I must admit I was surprised by this idyllic setting."

The boy looked sadly at the cabin, then scrunching his eyes and nose the surroundings were engulfed in fire, when it passed the cabin was a charred ruin and the clearing was blackened. Two freshly dug graves were visible next to the porch. Relaxing his face the clearing reverted to its pristine condition.

Rahne looked surprised, "Sir, what was that?"

With a sigh Xavier stood, "He knows this isn't real, because he was here when whatever tragedy occurred here happened."

"Do you think." Jean looked cautiously at the boy, "His brother or him?"

With a huff the boy scrunched up his face once more and the fire once more engulfed the clearing. This time a dark shadow lingered at the edge of the clearing. The boy indicated the figure before motioning toward the burning cabin. The massive wolf creature dragging three blurry figures from the burning building. The flames illuminated his reddish brown fur.

Rahne dropped to her knees clutching the boy to her forcing him to release his concentration reverting the clearing back to its pre disaster condition.

Jean gasped, "Professor...he was carrying three people...there was only two graves."

"One out of three...not the worst outcome, but not something I'd wish on a child." Emma reached out and placed a hand on the boys back, "Don't worry little one, he won't be able to hurt anyone else anytime soon."

The boy growled as he turned to Emma. Suddenly images of Apocalypse, Sinister, and a strange structure flashed through her mind. Emma paled, "You know him?"

The boy shook his head, and pointed to it.

Rahne frowned, "Why don't you speak?"

Looking down he scrunched up his face once more. They were no longer standing in the clearing, they found themselves inside the cabin. An old man sat in a recliner reading a newspaper while a young woman and man stood in the kitchen. The woman was fixing two plates of food.

The man placed the plates on the table and called out. The twins suddenly appeared entering through the door that led to the porch. They hurried to the table and began eating. While the twins ate the man and woman looked happily at them. Finished the memory version of the twin they were with looked up at the woman, "thank you mom."

The woman's expression was joyful, but teary. The dark twin though snarled and darted from the room. Confused their twin darted after his brother.

The memory ended and they were once more outside the cabin. The boy looking from one adult to the next.

Xavier quickly understood, "What happened here was not your fault. Your brother...he is broken." The Professor opened his own mine showing the hallway following the brother's last battle. Medics attended to the wounded who had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and those who'd tried to stop them. Surprisingly there had been no casualties, and all reports had been that the lighter twin had blocked any attack that could have killed. "You no longer are alone. We will not let your brother hurt anyone else."

The boy turned to Rahne, "What about her?"

Rahne returned to her transitional form, "Your brother comes back...I think I'll give him a long overdue time out."

* * *

Sam Guthrie tensed as the boy sat up, ready to defend his former teachers and teammate if needed. Rahne shook her head as she sat up, "Well let's not do that again anytime soon."

Cannonball watched as the telepaths recovered, "So...we all good here?"

Looking at her tense teammate Rahne nodded, "Yep, we're all good here." She turned to the boy, "Well go ahead and introduce yourself to your Uncle Sam."

The boy grinned at Sam, "I'm Ajax...um...Sinclair?"

Rahne nodded, "Yeah, you're not getting your dad's name."

"I'm in full agreement there." Emma stood up, "I'll have Hank and Kitty arrange documentation. We'll have to forge a birth certificate, but nothing we haven't done before."

Sam relaxed, "Well then only one thing left to do." he turned to Ajax, "Well Jax, time for you meet the rest of the madhouse."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Do Not Own anything, MARVEL owns it all.

* * *

A/N: Just a little background on the names for the twins. Ajax takes his name from Ajax Cleaner, being one of the first words he learned to read but people assume it's in reference to the mythical figure. Caine is named that by the survivor from the cabin fire, he doesn't call himself that but adopts it as his name later. Ajax and Caine will get code names later in the story.

Summary: A new group of mutants have appeared, unallied and unstable, what are their motives and who are they loyal to.

* * *

-SHIELD Safe House-

Maria Hill entered the darkened apartment looking for the agents stationed there. Flipping the light on she found the first signs of trouble. The agents, both experienced and committed, sitting catatonic on a sofa. No sign of their charge remained.

With an exasperated sigh she activated he direct line to the director, "Sir, we have a problem."

"That's not what I want to hear Agent Hill." Nick Fury's voice was strained, "What's the damage?"

"Agents Tony and Alexandra have been...they've been placed into some sort of catatonic state." Hill snapped her fingers at the agents, but there's no response, "We might need some professional help for them."

Fury was quiet for several minutes before answering, "Call in your team, have them sanitize that location. Move our agents to a medical facility with guards until we figure out what happened."

"Yes, sir." Hill switched her comm over to her team and called them in.

Thirty minutes later the down agents had been transported to a local hospital, a local team meeting them enroute to take over protection detail. The apartment was being swept by the remaining agents, Hill supervising as anything worth note was bagged for later examination in a lab. Seeing the team was nearly finished she slipped out of the apartment and made her way out of the building.

Walking two blocks she ducked into an alley. Two men were waiting for her, one a skittish man in navy fatigues and a body armor was sweeping the alley with a surveliance jammer. The second man wore a blue jumpsuit with the X-Men's symbol over his heart and one his belt buckle. The man's arms were bare save for the bands of living metal that covered his skin.

Colossus frowned, "You're late."

"Sorry, had to wait for my team to finish." Maria handed him a flash drive, "This is everything we have on these randomly appearing mutants...also the names and locations of the ones we've identified."

The mutant man of metal took the drive and passed it to his companion. The man quickly plugged the drive into moblie drive scanner, after a couple seconds a green light flashed on the scanner, "We're good the drive is clean sir."

Colossus nodded then turned away from Hill, "I must ask...where is the real Maria Hill."

Hill smiled as her skin shifted to blue and her eyes turned yellow, "I'm surprised Rasputin, I was sure I fooled you."

"The real Hill would never give up such intel so easily." Colossus began walking away.

An hour later Mystique returned to Maria's quarters on the Helicarrier. Bound and gagged on the bed was the real second in command of SHIELD, a dark bruise on her temple was the only mark on her. Tossing the woman's clothing one the floor she changed forms into a random female SHIELD agent and left the quarters unseen.

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

Ajax followed the mutant known as Cannonball and his mother, the mutant known as Wolfsbane into the main level of the mansion. Metal walls gave way to wood paneling, florescent lights became decorative sconces. Jackboot MRD troopers vanished, replaced by three piece suites worn by agents acting as security and teachers.

He's been told a day and a half had passed since he arrived, thus news about his brother and him had spread. Apparently their fight in what's called the danger room had been of a source of great speculation among the student body.

After walking down several halls and up a couple stairs they reached a short corridor with several doors along the walls. Rahne walked down to a door midway down the corridor. Turning back she saw he was waiting next to Samuel. Smiling she knocked on the door, which swung open revealing another boy about his age, "Morning Julian, you busy?"

Julian Keller shook his head, "No Miss Sinclair...just finishing writing another letter to my parents."

"Good, you have some spare clothes I can borrow?" Rahne stepped back so Julian could see Sam and Ajax.

Remembering the request Miss Frost had made at dinner the night before he jumped back into his room and reappeared a moment later holding a bundle of clothes. He was also carrying a bag of toiletries, "Miss Frost asked us last night. Laura and I passed around a collection for any spare necessities." He looked at the infirmary scrubs the other boy was currently wearing, "Um...does he have a room yet?"

Rahne bit her lip, "I'm going to keep him close for a bit...he's not quite ready to be left unsupervised." Understanding the older mutant's reasoning Julian handed over the clothes then returned to his room.

Once the door was closed the small group turned back down the corridor and headed back the way they came. Reaching another corridor Sam stretched and moved to a door, "Don't know about you but I could use a nap before breakfast."

Rahne shook her head as she led Ajax to another door. Opening the door she ushered him into a moderate sized room with a bed dresser and a door leading to an in suite bath. In the corner by the window Dani and James were setting up a camp cot and privacy screen. Mirage smiled as she walked over to the two shapeshifters, "Emma sent us to get this stuff out of storage...haven't needed it since Laura first came here."

Rahne nodded then turned to Ajax, "Jax this is Dani Moonstar, codenamed Mirage. The guy over there is James Proudstar also known as Warpath...you've met, but probably don't remember."

Ajax tilted his head, "He's the one who tried to separate Caine and I before we entered that town."

Warpath rubbed his head, "Yeah, tried to keep you two from trashing a third town...was a little surprised I got my ass handed to me by a couple kids."

"Caine's bioblasts drain life energy...you're lucky to be alive." Ajax walked over to the room's window and frown, "Where are we? I've never seen trees like those."

Following him to the window Dani giggled, "You're used to pine forests I take it. Those are maple trees, we make our own syrup. Partially as a science experiment for the younger kids, though mostly to save money because of the army we have to feed."

"Army?" Ajax turned to the telepath.

James answered, "Well there are nearly two hundred mutants living here, on top of that is the fifty MRD agents and troopers stationed here."

The boy closed his eyes, a moment later he opened them, "This place is clear."

Rahne frowned, "Clear?" She walked over to him, "What do you mean?"

"The girl...the one whose voice I hear...she said the mansion is clear of our brothers." He turned back to the window, "But she said Caine isn't where you think he is."

Dani concentrated carefully and quickly found the psychic presence tethered to the boy. A simple scan would have missed the connection, even a deeper scan would if you weren't looking for it. Then just as quickly as she saw it, it vanished leaving no trace.

She turned to her teammates, "There was a presence, but it's gone now."

"Could you tell anything about it?" James tenses.

"Just that there was no malice in the connection." Dani began pacing, "It seemed like they lingered just long enough to let me detect them, but left once I had." She stopped pacing, "Whoever this is, they are a powerful telepath."

Rahne knelt and placed her hands on Ajax shoulders, "How often does this person speak to you?"

He shrugged, "Not sure...she helped me track Caine, and warned me during our fights...and she woke me up when Caine left the infirmary."

Dani grabbed James arm, "We'll relay this to the Professor, you get him cleaned up breakfast will be in an hour."

Once they were gone Rahne dumped the back of toiletries Julian had gathered on the her bed, "Hmm...I'm hoping you know how to use most this...not sure either of us would be comfortable in there."

Ajax walked over and picked up the toothbrush, "The couple who took care of us taught us," He looked unsure at the privacy screen and cot behind it, "They hadn't gotten us to sleep inside though."

Rahne frowned, "The crawl space?"

He nodded, "We were more comfortable in caves and dark places," He held up his clawed hand, "Caine is like you...he can look perfectly human...I can't hide it."

"You don't have to hide it here," Rahne took her first transitional form, allowing her ears to become pointed her teeth to lengthen and her claws to form, "You'll see at breakfast."

* * *

Forty Five minutes later Ajax was rubbing at his shortened hair. Rahne had decided he needed a haircut, unfortunately that revealed the fact he'd rarely ever brushed his mane of hair. So she jumped next door and borrowed one of her male teammates electric razors to sheer off the matted hair.

Rahne shook her head at him, "It's fine...trust me it'll grow back." Rubbing her furred arm she looked at him, "Um...do you mind if I turn back?"

"No, I'm fine...Caine sometimes said he wished he was like me, but I never told him I wished I was like him." Ajax looked away, "In truth I wanted to be like him, being able to walk up to someone without being stared at or chased away."

Rahne pulled him into her side as they walked down the hall, "I guess I've taken it for granted...since I met Moira I've been accepted." She guided him down the stairs, "I was about your age when she and her squad of MRD jackboots found me curled up in a cardboard box. First kind thing anyone had done for me since my first transformation was a private sacrificing his last granola bar to calm me down."

"That sounds better than getting a dampening collar and a telekinetic freeze." He glared at her.

She smirked, "Don't blame me for that I was busy helping James...Caine may have only shocked him off, you gave him a good zap to."

He held up his hand which began glowing with blue energy, "I was undoing what Caine did...my bioblast can heal in controlled bursts."

"I'm thankful for that." Warpath met them at the bottom of the stairs, "Heads up Rahne, we have a Danger Room session after breakfast."

Growling Rahne shook her head, "Who scheduled it?"

"Logan...you remember when we crossed paths with Sabretooth and the Brotherhood a few days ago. Guess he's not happy Creed got away."

Ajax looked between them, "What's the danger room?"

James smirked, "The room you and your brother trashed during your little unofficial tour of the mansion's lower levels."

"Took Forge and Beast a day to clean up after your brawl." Sam came down the stairs with a girl at his side, "Where's my manners?" He saw Ajax notice the girl, "Ajax, like you to meet my little sister...well one of them. Paige Guthrie...she's visiting before starting here next year."

"Why isn't she living here like you?" Ajax was confused.

Paige answered, "My powers haven't developed yet...an MRD agent used a Trask Industries X-gene scanner when he came to offer Sam a place here. It's a running joke among the MRD about how many of my siblings are mutants."

"All of mine are." Ajax frowned, "Though I don't know most of them."

James slapped a hand on his shoulder, "Different situation kid...kind of a waste of Sinister's time to grow humans."

"I wasn't grown...I'm twelve years old." Ajax frowned, "I think...Caine said we were, he said we weren't supposed to leave the tanks for another ten years. The men with eagles on their shoulders caused us to leave the tanks early."

"How early?" They all turned to find Professor X sitting in his wheelchair.

Ajax looked at Rahne, "Six years ago."

"You were five years old?" Sam smirked, "A pair of five year olds eluded a SHIELD assault team...oh I wish I could have seen Fury's face when he heard that."

"Four."

Rahne looked at Ajax, "What?"

"There were five of us in that lab...four of us escaped." Ajax counted off on his fingers, "Caine and Me...Terrorsaur...and Gills."

Professor X leaned back, "I take it Terrorsaur and Gills have a different mother."

Ajax subconsciously backed into Rahne, "Yes...only Caine, me, and one other share a mother."

Rahne tensed, "Is the other like Caine...or you?"

Ajax closed his eyes for a moment his posture relaxing noticeably, "Like me."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: (Place Holder for Author Notes) Yeah, if this line is still here I forgot to delete it.

Summary: This is chapter Five, if you don't know what this story is about by now...then apparently I haven't done my job as the author.

To the Readers: As an aside, I don't beg for reviews. As is obvious about the story continuing without some ridiculous review requirement. Yet I would appreciate anyone's opinion about this story, which is obviously AU.

* * *

-Washington D.C.-

Senator Robert Kelly sat in his office reviewing the latest reports on the numbers of mutants. The MRD was running at maximum capacity, yet was requesting more resources. Men, vehicles, equipment...hell they even wanted a fund for treats to bribe scared children. Senator Kelly was always an outspoken opponent towards mutants, in the seventies he'd been a silent partner to Bolivar Trask's Sentinel program. Twenty five years later and Trask Industries prided itself in developing pro-mutant equipment.

Kelly had perverted some of Trasks tech for the betterment of humanity. He'd allowed a number of X-gene scanners to fall into the hands of the fledgling Purifiers and more experienced U-Men. He was a supporter of the Friends of Humanity, and had quietly appeared at several rallies held by them and the Human League. His biggest support for the anti-mutant movement had been as a silent member of the Union, a group attempting to join the various anti-mutant groups into the army they needed.

Closing the report he looked up at his office intern, "Get this on the doucet for the next general assembly, the head of the party is up for reelection this year. He'll lose support if he's seen being pro-mutant."

The Intern nodded, "Yes sir...also a couple members of the Friends came by asking for your public endorsement." The Intern saw the vein in the senator's temple begin to expand, "Don't worry sir, I told him this would be a poor decision...though he did leave he said his group feels you are stringing them along."

Kelly rubbed his forehead, "This is a dangerous game we play...one wrong move and all my hard work will fall apart."

"Yes sir," The Intern handed him another folder, "here's the script for your interview tonight. I'm afraid we may have a problem."

"What now?" The Senator opened the folder and immediately frowned, "How did they learn about project Wide Awake?"

The Intern frowned, "I'm not sure sir, but that's not all...apparently they've discovered your authoring of the Mutant Registration Act as well. There are also questions bringing into question your support of Anti-Mutant groups."

"This interview was supposed to win me the pro-mutant votes back home...that's why I asked Professor Xavier to attend with me." Kelly slapped the folder closed, "Get in touch with the MRD...find out how this information got leaked."

"Excuse me sir...but I already made inquires." The Intern backed up, "It was the MRD...Trask turned over recordings of your meetings to them, also apparently they traced the misappropriation of equipment to people in this office."

Senator Kelly looked surprised, "You said those transfers would be untraceable."

The Intern chuckled darkly as he slapped an MRD identification on the Senator's desk, "I lied...been lying for a long time now."

"Your background check?"

"A forgery." The MRD agent crossed his arms, "Lucky you never spent much time with us human kids at Xavier's...grew up there along side my mutant classmates and friends." He moved to the window behind the Senator's chair, "Senator, I have spent enough time at your side to understand you. You do not truly hate them...you fear them." He turned his back to the window to face the Senator again, "I grew up in a mansion surrounded by mutants...and never once did any of them use their powers against me in malice, a harmless prank every now and then. I won't lie, there are some powerful and hostile mutants out there...my father was killed by the most notorious telepath in recent years. Only working together can we insure our mutual survival."

Senator Kelly leaned forward on his desk, "Do you think the Neanderthals had these conversations when our ancestors stepped on the stage?"

"Mayhaps, though got to ask, did the Neanderthals actually die out...or did they just...become something new." The agent walked to towards the door, "The interview is at three forty five...Professor X will arrive at the airport at two thirty. You have six hours to decide how you wish to handle this."

Kelly looked at him, "What? No blackmail."

The agent huffed as he slipped back into his intern cover, "Sir, I'm a federal agent. To insinuate I would stoop so low as to commit extortion, I find insulting." With that he exited the office, leaving the Senator alone with his thoughts.

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

Breakfast was a minor case of mayhem. Various groups were clustered around tables in the manor's main dining hall. Ajax stayed close to Rahne as they moved through the buffet lines. She stuffed a plate in his hands, and swiftly stacked pancakes, ham, eggs, and breakfast sausage then guided him toward a corner of the room occupied by the New Mutants.

He slid into a seat next to Paige across from James, Dani, and Roberto codename Sunspot. Paige noticed the large amount of protein on the shapeshifters' plates, "Please tell me you're not actually carnivorous."

Rahne responded, "Physical transformation burns massive amounts of calories. We need to eat large amounts of protein to counter the burn, if we don't eat enough we could lose consciousness."

Ajax growled, "Or pass out because someone cuts off your healing factor."

"Yeah, most of us don't got one of those kid." James poured syrup over his waffles then slid the karaf over to Ajax, "The Wolverine has the best I know of...Daken and Laura both inherited there's from him."

Rahne growled, "Mine isn't anywhere near as good...probably why Sinister used Mr. Logan's genetics. Boost their healing factor up makes them a threat."

Ajax tuned out the conversation, seeing as the older mutants had already begun talking like he wasn't even there. He was just finishing when Xavier used his telepathy to summon the rooms attention.

Once everyone was focused on the Professor he spoke up, "As some of you know I have a meeting in D.C. this afternoon. As usual Scott and Jean will be in charge during my absence." He steepled his fingers and leaned forward on his table, "Word of our newest addition has spread quickly, as is normal in this house. I ask you all to give him space and allow him time to acclimate to life in the manor." Ajax felt eyes on him and sank in his seat, unused to being seen by so many people.

Scott Summers took over after the announcement, "Since it's the weekend the older students are free to come and go from the grounds, but please check in with your advisor before you leave and upon your return. Non-mutant students are free to do as you wish, but please check in with your parents or guardians. Please note that the Danger Room and Danger Cave are off limits today, teams will be running drills throughout the day. Observation of drills will be permitted for senior students and on case by case basis."

The X-Men field commander hesitated like he didn't want to bring up the next topic, "Under a recent agreement with SHIELD we will no longer actively restrict aiding and abetting the Avengers."

This statement brought confusion through the room, but ended with an enraged yell from the opposite end of the room, "You have to be kidding me." A white haired mutant in a one piece jumpsuit hurled across the room stopping before Xavier and Summers, "My sister has been persona non grata, hell her name is practically taboo. Now you're just going to start letting us work for them."

"Pietro...this isn't the place for this, we can talk about it later." Summers tried to defuse the volatile situation.

Quicksilver wouldn't have it, "Wanda has been treated like a traitor, a leper among our own people..."

"Don't get high and mighty mein friend," The Nightcrawler stood up from his seat, "Wanda left of her own choice...she had no right to take a X-gene scanner and dampening collar with her. You were also just as hostile toward your twin as any of us."

Pietro stared blankly at Nightcrawler for several minutes before turning and speeding out of the room, a green haired woman stood to follow him.

Thankful the outburst had drawn attention away from him he turned to his mother, "What was that about?"

"An old wound that." Rahne growled, "Quicksilver, that's Pietro, and his sister Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, used to work with their father Magneto. After fighting the first class they realized the errors of following a madman, they joined us. Back then the Avengers and X-Men had a tenuous relationship, we'd help them but they felt we should be Avengers and answer to SHIELD. We are not weapons, Nick Fury the head of SHIELD learned of the X-gene scanners and power dampening collars." Rahne shook her head, "He sent the Avenger known as Wonder Man a former villain turned hero like her, he seduced her into turning over prototypes of both devices. Wanda knew better than returning after that, no X-Man has seen her since then."

"Well that's not entirely true." Sam motioned towards Nightcrawler, "Kurt tried to stop her...there were rumor that they were close, but Wonder Man must have..."

"Don't finish that sentence Cannonball" Rahne narrowed her eyes at the kinetic barrier mutant.

Sam gulped before continuing, "Anyway...about seven months later the perimeter alarms went off and we found Taila bundled in some blankets..." He indicated the blue skinned girl sitting next to Kurt, "...doesn't take a seventh level intellect to do the math."

"Enough..." Dani stood up, "...Talking about Wanda does nothing but distract us. We have a training session with The Wolverine in ten minutes we need to gather the team and plan." She turned to Rahne, "What are you going to do about him?" She indicated Ajax.

Rahne looked at him, "You'll probably get bored watching us in the Danger Room...do you feel ready to get to know the other kids?"

Unsure Ajax looked at the expectant faces around him awaiting an answer, before he could answer the girl on his other side spoke, "It'll be fine Rahne, I'll introduce him to the others."

Rahne smiled at Paige, "Thanks Paige, be careful and don't overwhelm him...he may revert if stressed. If he begins to transform send for me immediately." Rahne turned to Ajax, "Stay with Paige and I'll come find you after my training session...also I don't want you to transform without me present."

Nodding Ajax watched her and the other New Mutants leave, their various teammates joining up with them as they crossed the room. Other groups began leaving to finish getting ready for the day. Paige and Ajax departed when only a few people remained. They'd just reached the door when they were joined by the other young mutants, and a few of the non-mutant kids who called the mansion home.

Paige led the group into the entry hall before stopping and turning to the group, "Alright which of you are actually here to meet Ajax, and who's here hoping to hear about what happened in the danger room."

Several of them looked guilty and quickly departed. Among those that remained Julian stepped forward he held out his hand, "We weren't properly introduced earlier, Julian Keller telekinetic."

Ajax looked confused at the hand, and Paige quickly understood, "When someone holds out their hand like that you're supposed to shake it."

The shapeshifter shook Julian's hand, "Ajax...Sinclair...um, shapeshifter." He quickly released Julian's hand, "um...thanks for the clothes and other stuff."

Smiling Julian motioned to a couple of the other boys, "Shoes used to be Daken's he hit a growth spurt last month...the stuff we couldn't scrounge up Josh and Carter got from the barracks surplus supplies."

Ajax frowned, "Won't they get in trouble?"

Carter a much younger boy stepped up, "My mom works as a nurse at the school...she's a bit anti-mutant, but knows this is the best place for me." He scratched the side of his head then held out his hand, "Carter Ghazikhanian...telepath."

Ajax shook his hand as the second indicated boy stepped up, he was closer in age and had gold skin, "Josh Foley...my powers consist of biological manipulation."

Julian motioned to the boy Daken and the girl next to him, "You technically met Daken and Laura before you came...they went with their father to stop the rampaging."

Ajax rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah...sorry if you got caught in the crossfire."

Daken waved it off, "No problem...got the old man's healing factor, nothing you could do would stop us."

Laura elbowed him then turned to Ajax, "We were hanging back at the blackbird when the others went to confront you. Though I have to ask, did you really clobber your brother with a Mercedes?"

"Not really sure. Don't remember much of what happened." Ajax closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, "Apparently it was a Subaru...she says she'd have stopped me if it was anything too expensive to replace."

The others looked confused, "She?" Julian frowned, "Um...everything we heard was just the two of you."

Paige responded, "Ajax just revealed to a few of us that he has a younger sister who's a decent telepath."

Carter reached out with his mind, but jumped back physically when he got a psychic slap from a mind barely touching the shapeshifter's own. A girl stepped forward and steadied him, "What was that Carter?"

The boy shook his head, "Whoever she is doesn't appreciate being looked at."

"Yeah Dani could have told you that." The group turned to find Karma standing on the middle landing of the staircase in her uniform, "How about you munchkins go outside it's a beautiful day."

The girl next to Carter smiled, "We'll go out in a minute Karma...we haven't figured out what to do yet." Shaking her head the New Mutant opened the panel that covered the elevator to the lower levels.

Once the panel closed the girl turned to Ajax, "I'm Kelly Wainwright, my father is the MRD operational chief at the mansion."

"Meaning her dad is the resident bureaucrat." Julian crossed his arms, "Also she beat me for class president last year...she even won most of the mutant vote."

Kelly glared at the telekinetic boy, "Isn't the whole point of us humans taking classes here to promote human/mutant relations...you really need to stop separating the two."

Paige being the oldest person there rubbed her brows, "Actually the reason was partially to cover up the existence of a mutant school, and secondly to prevent the kids of first generation MRD agents from spilling the secret to kids at the public schools in the area."

Ajax turned to her, "What is the MRD? My brother and I encountered and avoided them on several occasions...I know my brother drained one of them once...he was gone before I could reverse it."

Motioning towards the door Paige led the group outside as she explained, "Xavier's School for the Gifted was founded in 1969, though the X-Men were formed a few years earlier. The school was meant to be a sanctuary for mutants, but after a very public confrontation between them and Magneto the United States government got involved. A military standoff at the gates to the school nearly led to a battle, but between Xavier, Agent MacTaggart, and the commanding officer it was prevented." Paige motioned the group to sit on the steps of the school, "The only aggression that occurred was a trigger happy private who nearly shot Xavier, he was stopped by someone who resembled Logan...but at that time Logan was still in Canada."

Daken rubbed his head, "Alternate reality time travel...dad says he's ran into a couple alternate versions of himself over the years."

"He said it's best not to put too much thought into it." Laura frowned, "Though considering Daken and me he should really put more thought into his actions."

Ajax shook his head at the two ferals then turned back to Paige who continued her explanation, "Anyway, the soldiers who'd besieged the school, and a group of FBI and CIA agents were lumped together into a special operations force. They were originally based out of a military base in upstate New York, but after leadership was turned over to Agent MacTaggart they built barracks on the school grounds. After they officially adopted the MRD designation, when mutants became public knowledge in the late seventies, they built the MRD central operations hub in Boston."

"And that trigger happy Private is now one of the highest ranking MRD officers on the East Coast." Kelly shook her head, "Dad says he's a company man through and through, but doesn't trust him with more than test run and scout operations."

Paige smiled as a thought entered her mind, "Now that the lesson is done for the day, how about we play a game."

"What game?" Ajax stood, "I've seen kids play tag, also hide and seek...never played, never had time."

Paige nodded, "Hide and seek it is...but no powers." Everyone agreed, "Alright, I'll be the referee, make sure you're all honest." She indicated the driveway leading to the gate and the perimeter wall, "The boundary line is the driveway to the property line. Julian, you're it first."

Huffing Julian put his head down on the cement step and began counting. As he counted everyone dashed away, the rule against powers being abandoned nearly immediately as a boy with color changing skin camouflaged himself in ivy along the wall, and a little girl with pink wings fluttered into the low branches of a tree.

Paige shook her head at the blatant cheating, but relented promising herself to enforce the rules when a human kid was it.

* * *

In the Danger Room the New Mutants were resting between simulations, Logan being called away to an X-Men drill in the danger cave. Roberto deactivated his powers and sat down on the metal floor, "That was brutal...who in their right mind is going to try and reprogram a Sentinel into attacking us?"

Sam dropped to the floor next to his teammate, "Not sure...did he intentionally program those two to use me as a ping pong?"

"If he did he's more sadistic than I gave him credit." James looked to where several of the girls of their team sat around Rahne who was nursing a minor burn, "Think they're badgering her about the kid?"

Sam glanced to the gaggle, "Karma probably not, she's more concerned with Rahne getting that electrical burn...Dani and the others have been jumping for a chance to talk to her about it...I mean...if Dani and I had been a bit quicker."

James slugged his shoulder, "Hey, it was my stupid idea to take the Blackbird on that joyride...if anyone is at fault for this it has to be me."

"Actually," Roberto sat up, "It's whoever knocked us all out after landing...I've always wondered about those sparks. How'd they know we'd land there, cause sure as hell they were waiting for us."

James frowned, "I don't know...I remember dodging the Air Force jet, then seeing the clearing. It looked like the perfect spot, even had some coverage we could coast under to hide."

Sam snapped around to look at James, "What are you talking about? The Blackbird...even the first one back in the seventies has always had a radar jammer and a cloaking device."

James looked confused, "Yeah...I've always known that." Warpath growled suddenly, "Damn it...I was being being used like a puppet."

"Damn...if we ever get the chance to find those assholes again I've got a kinetic blast with their name on it." Sam stormed toward the door.

* * *

Rahne was happy with the sudden end to the training session, Sam had stormed out after a conversation with James and Roberto, the contents of which neither young man would divulge. It had also given her an escape, as her teammates had taken Ajax absence from her side as an invitation to barrage her with question.

Most had wanted to know what her opinion and feelings on the situation were...questions she hadn't had time to process yet. It had only been twelve hours since she learned she was a mother, less than four since she learned it was three not two children created from her DNA. More than her DNA if what Sam and Dani had revealed was accurate.

Deciding to relieve Paige of the responsibility of watching Ajax she exited the mansion, as Karma had revealed she's sent them outside to enjoy the fresh air. Stepping into the midday sun she found Paige watching with other kids as Ajax hunted through the shrubs along the drive.

Suddenly he lunged and two girls dived out of the shrubs, one was Kelly who scrambled to her feet and headed for the steps, Ajax hot on her heels. He'd ignored Megan who'd taken to the air and was flying as hard as she could to the steps. Two groups on the steps were cheering for either of the girls, a number of boys were cheering for Ajax to catch one of them.

Suddenly Ajax halted his chase and rolled to the side avoiding an invisible wall, seeing he'd not catch the girl at normal speeds he turned back to a tree and charged. Julian leapt from the tree using his platforms to reach the ground. Julian tried doging a lunge from Ajax, but was quickly caught.

With a huff Julian made his way back to the steps and joined the group of others who'd been caught, sitting on the opposite side of Paige than the few who'd escaped. Paige looked at Julian as he sat, "Second guessing helping Kelly?"

Julian shook his head, but winced slightly, "No...didn't expect him to adapt to my powers so quickly."

Rahne spoke from behind him, "He's been forced to survive in the wild since he was five...adapting is second nature to him."

"Well, he still has trouble finding Daken and Laura." Paige crossed her arms, "He's passed their hiding spot three times."

Logan stepped out of the mansion, "Daken can hide his scent...is he hiding with Laura?"

Paige nodded, "Yeah they're halfway up that old oak."

Smiling mischievously Rahne called out, "Ajax." The boy quickly turned to her, "I think you can handle a little transforming...first transition should be enough."

Nodding and sharing his mother's smile Ajax transformed his ears becoming more prominent along with his teeth, his face taking on more feral traits. A deep breath and he looked up, "Found you."

A couple minutes later Ajax was leading a bickering Laura and Daken back to the steps, "Right Daken climbing a tree was a great hiding place...as long as he doesn't shapeshift."

Daken huffed, "How was I supposed to know Wolfsbane would show up and tell him to transform."

Returning to his base form Ajax frowned as he looked at his mother, "You're hurt?"

Rahne placed a hand on her burn, "This is nothing...just a minor electrical burn from faulty equipment in the danger room. Something you and Caine damaged was repaired with faulty components."

Without a word Ajax reached up a blue glowing hand, a moment of minor shock like static and the pain of the burn vanished. Looking at where the burn was revealed her healing factor had apparently been boosted as she watch the burn heal away.

Logan frowned, "How?"

Ajax looked at him confused, "My bioelectrical field restores...I've had to use it often to clean up after Caine."

"Hard way to learn your gifts." Emma Frost exited the mansion, "Logan...I fear we may have infiltrators within the school, Jean agrees and Scott wants you to take charge of the school."

Rahne glanced at Ajax then turned to Emma, "What kind of infiltrators?"

"SHIELD has had a number of infiltrations...Mystique replaced Maria Hill and gave us classified intel..." Emma hesitantly continued, "...Also...the quinjet transporting Caine to a holding facility dropped off radar. The men who were supposed to be on board were found dead on the helicarrier."

Ajax growled and moved closer to Rahne unconsciously, Logan took notice, "Don't worry runt, doubt they'll be coming back here anytime soon. Emma here put your brother in a state that'll take some time to undo."

The young shapeshifter snarled, "That's not my problem...someone nearby just tried to activate my programing."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. If you haven't recently read chapter 1 and 2, I suggest you take a second glance. I have reworked both chapters, they are longer and flow better than the original versions.

* * *

-Washington D.C.-

Professor Xavier entered the hotel room he used during any visit to the nation's capital. He hadn't been here since the last inaugural address two years ago. The MRD tactical team that had accompanied him finished sweeping the room for surveillance devices, then left to converse with their local counterparts. Two agents remained in the room, a necessary inconvenience following multiple assassination attempts.

The older of the two agents slumped into a chair at the table, "Relax Wainwright, thought you wanted more field assignments?"

"Easy for you. You've been MRD since the start...I've never had to deal with politicians." Agent Wainwright sighed, "Just wanted to get out of the mansion once in a while. Dad kept me on babysitting duty."

Professor X turned to the young man, "Your father is merely concerned for your well being William. For every X-Man we've lost in the last thirty years, we've lost twelve MRD agents."

"I know sir...mom went down trying to stop the massacre of the Morlocks." William dropped into the sofa, "Kelly can't even remember her."

Xavier sighed as he leaned back in his wheelchair, "I'll have a word with Jean when we get back. She and your mother were close as students."

The older agent's walkie talkie made a squawking sound, he listened on his earpiece then responded, "Yeah...send them up." He turned to the Professor, "Sir, we have company."

A moment later the door opened allowing Cable and Bishop to enter. The two time traveling X-Men nodded to the agents before moving to the Professor. Cable huffed, "Got an emergency signal from the mansion. Something happened, we're not positive but we think it has to do with the new kid."

Professor X reached out with his mind to his students. Jean was quick to respond her mentally projected voice calm, but edged, "Professor...we are searching for an unknown shape taker."

Xaveir responded calmly, "Has he harmed anyone?"

"No, he attempted to use a signal device to activate Ajax programming...as we believed his programing is incomplete only consisting of a knowledge base, no behavioral or subliminal commands." Jean's mental voice paused, "Apparently we found the man whose form was taken, he is alive, ambushed while on morning perimeter patrol."

Xavier frowned, "Keep me informed." Jean responded in affirmative then cut the connection. Turning to the two time travelers he motioned to the table, "It is nothing we can do anything about from here, we must focus on the Senator."

Cable placed a flashing cube on the table, "Bring up the file on Senator Robert Kelly."

The cube's sides rotated flashing before a holographic projection was emitted from the top showing the senator. A computerized voice read out the file, "Senator Robert S. Kelly, Senator of File Corrupted, husband of File Corrupted Kelly, father of File Corrupted Kelly."

Bishop frowned, "What the hell Cable, is everything corrupted?"

Cable glared back at Bishop, "You're only from what seventy years from now, I'm more than five hundred than you. By my time Senator Kelly is dust in the ground, and after what Apocalypse has done to the world you're lucky anything remains."

The computer cube continued listing off known data, but much of it was corrupted. After several minutes the cube became quiet and Cable returned it to a storage compartment in his technorganic arm. Xavier was about to speak when there was a knock on the door. Cable and Bishop both readied their weapons, the agents taking up positions next to the Professor. The older of the agents quietly checked in with the guards in the hotel.

After a few minutes Xavier smiled, "William, if you would answer the door...your cousin is tired of waiting."

Holstering his side arm the agent walked over to the door and threw it open, "Damn it Gregor, why didn't you check in?"

"Nice to see you to Willy, my reasons are good." Gregor Wainwright entered the room followed by Robert Kelly, the senator nervously looked at the two massive men carrying the largest guns he'd ever seen. Gregor turned to Xavier, "Professor, I believe you know Senator Kelly."

Xavier nodded, "We've had the pleasure." Sensing the senator's unease he indicated the two who uneasily returned their rifles to their backs, "Senator, may I introduce my associates. Cable and Bishop are X-Men, Cable is in charge of X-Force, while Bishop handles security at the Washington MRD offices. The MRD agents handling my security detail are Mr. Franks and Mr. Wainwright.

Kelly looked at Gregor, "I take it from the scene at the door you're related."

Nodding Gregor slugged his cousin's shoulder, "Willy is my baby cousin...in fact this is his first field assignment."

William rubbed his shoulder, "First field yeah, but not my first mission."

Bishop scoffed, "Watching the kids at the mansion doesn't equal a real mission."

"I don't know, some of those kids are trouble," Cable sneered, "especially that girl Kelly Wainwright."

Xavier shook his head at Cable's jab then turned back to the Senator, "I apologize for having Gregor infiltrate your office, but it was either infiltration and investigation covertly or having X-Factor and MRD investigative services storming it. If X-Factor had been called in you'd be up on charges...aiding and abetting terrorist organizations would be the least, possible acts of treason the worst."

Rubbing his brow Kelly sat on a recliner, "I'm aware of that Professor...I think I've always been aware." He looked at the other men in the room, "I allowed my fear...my hate to overrule by common sense."

"Common sense is not always infallible," Xavier moved closer to the Senator, "I take it by the cloak and dagger means of your arrival you have made your decision."

The Senator nodded, "Yes...I...I need time to..." The Senator looked afraid, "...my family...when I renounce my former associations...they'll come after my wife and children."

Xavier nodded, "Do not worry Senator...my people are quite skilled." He nodded to Cable.

The large white haired man pulled a communicator from his belt, "Wade, Betsy we have a green light, get your asses moving."

* * *

-Outside Senator's Brownstone-

Deadpool pulled down his hood as the MRD troops behind him checked their weapons, "Hear that Betsy, we get to play."

"Wilson, we're to protect the Senator's family...doesn't mean we confront the knuckle draggers unless they attack first." Psylocke ignited her psionic blade, "So stay in character for once."

Deadpool looks to the reader, "What? I'm always in character."

* * *

-Forrest outside Xavier School for the Gifted-

Trees whipped by as they followed the scent. Logan ducked a branch as he followed the two shapeshifters on the path. James and Caliban quick on his heels, with Hank and Nightcrawler bringing up the rear. It was crazy letting a kid with uncontrolled powers take the lead, but he wasn't going to argue with results.

After leaping over a rock he found Rahne and Ajax sitting at the edge of a creek in their transitional forms. Ajax swatted at the water, "The scent vanished."

James landed on the rock, "Any other signs?"

Rahne picked up a dead bird, "Same marks as were on the guard...also the shape taker's scent is all over it."

"Guess mass doesn't limit him." Beast took the bird and looked closer, "Also seems our guard is lucky, the bird's heart was ruptured by the probes used to sample the DNA."

Wolverine turned to Ajax, "Anything in that computer brain of yours?"

Glaring Ajax turned back to the stream, "Specimen fifty seven, codenamed Formless...age forty three, height varys, hair none, eyes varys...killed his mother while using the form of his human half-brother." He turned to Rahne, "He's not programmed."

Kurt frowned, "Not programmed? Then why did he kill his mother?"

Ajax frowned, "He's a monster, I don't know...I only know what is in my head."

"Ajax, you called him Specimen fifty seven, what did that mean?" Hank had a theory.

The young shapeshifter looked to the blue mutant, "Specimens were successful experiments into producing mutant offspring of En Sabah Nur...not to be confused as Clan Akkaba we are designated as the Sons of Apocalypse."

Rahne frowned, "You said successful experiments...there were failed ones to?"

"Failed experiments were terminated to conserve resources for further experiments." Ajax pointed to himself, "Specimen ninety eight...Caine is specimen ninety nine."

"Guess you're the older brother after all." Logan turned in the direction of the manor, "No use lingering out here, we should get back before they send a search party."

Kurt appeared between Rahne and Ajax, "No problem Logan. I'll have us all back in no time."

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Scott listened as the tracking squad revealed all that had transpired on the outing, "So, no way to catch this guy?"

"Not likely, unless we can get some early warning...doubt he could change forms to anything smaller than that bird." Wolverine looked out the window where Ajax was once more playing with the other kids, a game of capture the flag had been started by the older kids, "It's kind of creepy how much the kid knows...I think being faced by one of the others must have unlocked some of the blocks."

Emma and Jean shared a look before the red head spoke, "Actually it was the programming speaking...as we said he's basically a walking knowledge base. You ask him a question while the programming is active he will answer, when the programming isn't active he couldn't have told you a thing."

The field leader frowned, "So right now he doesn't know any of the stuff he did at the creek?"

"No, when they got back I shut down the programming. He remembers going out after that mutant, he just can't remember anything he said or was said to him." Jean crossed her arms, "There's also the fact Emma and I were able to read some of what is stored in his head."

"Think of the blocks of programing as wings in a library, each is a cluster of related data. The ones activated this afternoon centered on identities of his "siblings" and general history." Emma looked impressed, "Whoever did this had advanced tech, to literally download data into a person's mind."

"Think Caine had the same knowledge?" Logan was concerned with how much one twin knew over the other.

Jean nodded, "Yes, and due to his programming being active has more access to the knowledge. It's also why he seemed more advanced, he may only be twelve years old, he has the knowledge and programed experience of decades."

* * *

-School Grounds-

Rahne watched as the entire student body participated in a game of capture the flag. The older students had been separated into teams by their instructors, while the younger students had been chosen by the upperclassmen. Ajax was on Jubilee's team along with Daken, Laura, Julian, Carter, Talia and Megan. Several older human students had chosen them to supplement the lacking number of mutants on their team.

Talia had proven to be troublesome for the other team to catch, but along with Megan and Julian had joined Jubilee in the other teams prison area. Ajax had been a few feet from the flag when he'd heard Talia bampf right into two opponents, who promptly caught her. With a growl he slunk behind them as they reached the holding area. The guarding students had a moment to call out before he raised his laser tagger and fired four shots.

Talia smiled as her teammates collected their taggers and headed for their base, "Thanks Ajax." With that she bampf back to base.

"Man...next time remind me to chose him for our team." One of the older boys said from his place on the ground, waiting for his vest to stop flashing red.

One of his friends grumbled, "We told you to, but no you complained we didn't know enough about his abilities."

Ajax shook his head at the two humans before jogging off back towards the flag. He arrived to find Kelly and the other team's leader firing their taggers at each other, but neither hit. Leaping up he grabbed the flag landing next to Kelly, "Got the flag, let's go."

Kelly fired off two random shots, "Show off." Then took off back to their base.

The pair darted toward their base, a pair of older students crossed the line drawing attention away from them. They were a few feet from the line when Talia appeared on Kelly's shoulder and vanished with her, a moment later she landed on Ajax's own and they both vanished a moment later.

Appearing at their base Ajax handed the flag to Megan, "You want to take care of it?"

The little girl smiled as her wings fluttered and she made her way up their pole adding the flag to the collection of other teams flags. Jubilee clapped her hands and shot fireworks into the air, "The champions once more."

There was much grumbling as everyone returned to the back patio of the mansion where most the faculty and other adults waited. Scott crossed his arms, "Well, seems Jubilee's team won the day. As an award no one from your team is on KP duty tonight, and you get to choose tonights movie."

Everyone grumbled as the two small girls began pulling on Jubilee's arms begging for a Disney movie. Knowing she would cave everyone accepted their fate of musical number and cutsie cartoon animals. Ajax frowned at the two girls' antics, "What's a Poke a haunt us?"

Julian shook his head, "Pocahontas...it's a Disney movie released last year. Those two have already burned out three tapes of it...not as bad as The Lion King, they went through six tapes in two months."

Daken snickered, "They had help there, Laura was hooked on the songs...and the whole moving pictures thing."

The female clawed pre-teen glared at Daken, "Don't lie you never argued about sneaking downstairs to watch it."

"I'm starting to understand why Guthrie called this place a mad house." He made his way over to Rahne, who was sitting with Dani and Anne Marie better known as Rogue. She smiled as he glanced at the two women before turning to her, "We didn't eat at midday...I'm hungry."

Rahne stood up, "Well, guess I should show you the kitchens...we can get warmed up for dinner, don't need to look like gluttons."

"I'll come along," Rogue stood up, "Need to help get dinner started anyway."

* * *

-Kitchens-

Ajax was surprised by the size of the mansion's kitchen, the room could of filled the cabin he once lived under and still had room to spare. Already a dozen white clad people were moving about preparing various dishes. Rahane grabbed two plates from under covers and put them on a table, motioning him to sit.

"Figured after that chase you'd have gotten a bit hungry." Rahne picked up her hamburger.

Picking up his own he took a large bite and chewed ravenously. After swallowing he continued, "We use to hunt whenever we were hungry...didn't smell anything more than a couple squirrels on the way to the creek."

"Squirrels?" Rahne was surprised, "Guess that's better than rats...not much, but could have been worse."

Rogue dropped a plate of fries between the two shapeshifters and took a seat, "I half to agree with Rahne, there's far worse things you could have eaten...especially in the forests you were found in." Grabbing a couple fries she winked at Ajax, "Nice save during the game...those boys knew Talia couldn't teleport with both them holding her. My little niece isn't able to take more than one person, and not a full grown one at that...you and Kelly were about her limit."

"Talia is your niece?" Alex frowned, "So...you're related to that Pietro guy?"

Rogue laughed, "Nah sugah, Kurt and I share a mum...well technically. Kurt was raised by a circus in Germany, and I was raised by his mum." She snatched another fry and leaned in conspiratorially, "Truth is we have another brother, but he's the black sheep of the family."

Ajax frowned, "Why?"

"Cause he's not a mutant...surprising seeing how both his parents are." Rogue stood up, "Now, you two enjoy them burgers, cause I got to whip up some of Remy's favorite gumbo."

* * *

-Faculty Commons-

Scott flipped on CNN as most the other X-Men entered the sitting room. Kitty was the last to enter, "Everything is set...some of the older kids chose to study in the dining hall."

Logan nodded, "If we didn't have this faculty meeting I'd be avoiding the other sitting room as well...though I can still hear the singing."

"Looks like the interview is on." Scott turned up the volume on the TV.

"Welcome Gentlemen, I'm pleased you had time to meet me today." The reporter appeared nervous, probably the presence of Cable and Bishop off camera, "Senator Kelly, you agreed to this interview to answer questions regarding your stance on the mutant issue."

"I'll stop you right there Mr. Roberts. I'm fully aware that this interview was to be an ambush...I was warned ahead of time that you acquired some information that could paint me in a bad light when taken out of context." Senator Kelly indicated a folder laying on the table between him and the reporter, "You may ask the questions you truly intended to ask."

"Yes, well...if you could please explain your supposed support of certain...well lack of a better word hate groups." The reporter shuffled his notes, "There are reports of your speaking at rallies for the Friends of Humanity...as well as other newer hate groups that have been revealed."

The Senator sighed, "As a senator I'm asked to speak at many events...I'm sorry to say I thought I could be a voice of reason, but reason is not what those people seek." Kelly leaned forward steepling his fingers, "These people are afraid of something they do not understand...a sad thing that is propagated by forcing mutant children into hiding. To think schools were mutants can learn to control their power have to operate under a cloak of shadow."

"But it is well known the Xavier Institute is a school for young mutants." The Reporter turned to Xavier, "Professor Xavier, you agreed to this meeting I fear under false pretenses. You see, I was hoping you as a member of the MRD supervisory committee knew the Senator's crimes."

The Professor calmly looked at the reporter, "We have been aware of the Senator's activities for some time. We needed only to speak with him to know he was an unwilling accomplice in recent tech thefts and ambushes of MRD squads performing their tasks."

Senator Kelly followed up, "I am willing and able to admit my faults...I have also revealed all my contacts among the various hate groups I've had contact with."

* * *

-Senator Kelly's Brownstone-

Deadpool stood in the middle of the living room as the MRD troopers dug in using walls and furniture for cover. Wade pointed to one behind the kitchen island, "You...move to this side of the island...your back's to that window." He heard the man move to the indicated location, then pointed to the man on the stairs, "What point of concealing yourself don't you understand."

As the man moved up a couple more steps he let his arm relax, "Man...you'd think you were all amateurs."

"Wade get up here." Psylocke called from upstairs.

An instant later he blinked out of existence to appear next to Psylocke, "What's up Betsy?"

"Gah...don't call me that in front of the client Wade." Psylocke motioned to the window, "I count seventeen...lots of automatic weapons."

Deadpool pulled out his twin submachine guns, "Want me to introduce them to Bonnie and Clyde?"

Shaking her head the telepath pointed downstairs, "Don't need you going postal in the middle of a civilian area...stay downstairs and keep our troops alive."

"Right they have wives and children...or mothers and fathers...or"

"Stop Wade...just go back downstairs." Psylocke waited for Deadpool to vanish before turning to the Senator's wife and children. The girl a teenager, the boy no older than thirteen. Deadpool had to collect the boy from a neighborhood basketball court...it took him three tries to get the right kid.

The Senator's wife, Rebecca clutched her children, "What's going to happen?"

"If they're smart they'll stay outside and just be intimidating...if not things will get very loud." She smiled reassuringly, "I just need you and the kids to stay in here...but if things go bad when I tell you to hide in the bathroom."

From downstairs there was a yell, "Malatov!"

Moments later Deadpool was standing in an inferno...his troopers rolling on the ground extinguishing the flames licking at their body armor. Narrowing his eyes out the smashed window he drew his katana, "Bad move."

In an instant he vanished reappearing next to the denim clad man who'd thrown the bottle of gasoline, a second later and a slash of the blade the man lost a hand. Deadpool began ping ponging around the street incapacitating and maiming anyone wearing a FOH shirt.

Upstairs Psylocke used a fire extinguisher to force back the flames licking at the bottom of the door. A moment later the door was kicked in and two troopers entered spraying fire retardant around the door.

Huffing she tossed the extinguisher aside, "Took your sweet time."

"Sorry miss...took a while to put the rest of the team out." One of the troopers surveyed the room, "Agent Wilson has the street secured."

"Damn," Psylocke ran out of the house leaving the Kelly family in the hands of the troopers. Outside she found Deadpool putting tourniquets on the severed limbs of the Friends of Humanity foot soldiers he's maimed.

As she walked up to him he held up his hands, "What? They started it." Without a word she punched the red clad merc.

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Night had fallen on the manor and Rahne led Ajax back to their room. As they entered she tossed him his bag of toiletries, "Brush your teeth, and get changed into those night clothes." She watched him go into the bathroom then moved behind to privacy screen to change into her nightgown.

After brushing her own teeth and returning to the room she found Ajax looking out the window, "It's strange...being inside at night."

"Guess you get used to sleeping under trees if that's all you know." She sat on the window seat with him, "You miss Caine don't you."

He nodded, "Not the Caine you met...he wasn't my twin anymore. Caine always said he was the older brother, so it was his job to look out for us. It was him that found places for us to sleep...we'd find cabins during the winter to hold up in, if we couldn't we'd chase a bear out its den."

"You chased bears out of their dens?"

He smirked, "I can get pretty big if I need to...and we never chased mother bears out, only males." At her look he tapped his nose, "The nose knows." He turned back to the window, "I was the better hunter...though campgrounds were always fun."

Rahne frowned, "You stole?"

"Sometimes...transforming and getting big we were mistaken for a couple bears." He shook his head, "Most times we waited for the people to leave and scavenged through their leavings. Sometimes we raided hunters snares and traps."

"How'd you meet the people in the cabin?" Rahne was curious why the people took care of the twins.

Ajax swallowed hard, "We saved her...she tried to throw herself from a waterfall." His focus turned back to the night sky, "I used my power to heal her after Caine pulled her from the water." He began picking at the borrowed shirt, "She was scared of us at first...thought we were devil dogs sent to take her soul to hell for killing herself. After Caine took his human form she became less frightened, then the old man showed up. He tried chasing us off, but she wouldn't hear of it."

"Sounds like she took to you."

"She took to Caine...remember he looks human, I was just part of the package." Snarling he turned to the rooms door, "We lived in a tool shed for awhile, the old man didn't want us in the house...during the first winter we moved into the crawlspace to get out of the cold. Her boyfriend learned about us that following spring...we stayed there two more years. Then I made that slip...I think...I think calling her that triggered something in Caine. He started causing accidents...they escalated until the fire."

Rahne changed to her first transition form, "You know...the terms mother and father don't always apply to the person you're related to. From the memory I saw she seemed to have come to accept you both, so did he. They were more like parents to you than I may ever be...to tell you the truth, I'm not sure about being a mother."

Ajax frowned, "What about your parents?"

The older shapeshifter winced, "My mother died before my powers manifested...as for my father, well...I haven't thought about him in a few years." She rubbed her arms, "He wasn't very supportive of my being a mutant...thought he could purge it out of me."

That statement made the younger shapeshifter wince, "What do you know of my father?"

"Personally I've never met him." She looked out the window, "The others...Scott, Jean, Logan...they've crossed paths with him from time to time. Warren...Arcangel...he knows him the best, was forced to serve him for a time. Caliban was a slave to him until my teammate James found him awhile back."

"Caliban...the one who tried talking to me in the forest?"

Rahne nodded, "He sensed you weren't as aggressive as your brother...said you weren't willing to talk."

"You kind of got zapped by Caine, had to use my power to stop the drain." Ajax frowned, "I've seen what happens when he even touches someone with the red energy...they seize and slowly become weaker...all the while Caine get's stronger and heals."

Rahne frowned, "Can Caine heal without zapping someone?"

Shaking his head Ajax allowed his blue energy to arc along his fingers, "I heal whenever I get hurt...but he has to drain someone else to jumpstart his healing."

"Good to know." Rahne looked at the digital clock on her nightstand, "Eleven already...time to get some sleep." Guiding him to the cot she helped him get covered up then pulled the privacy screen as she got into bed, returning to her human form as she pulled her blankets over herself.

As she reached up to turn off the bedside lamp she heard a quiet "Night mom." from beyond the privacy screen. Smiling she turned off the lamp.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: So apparently FanFiction is having some tech problems. The story traffic isn't recording views or visits, been like that since last weekend. So without reviews I have no idea how many people are reading this...or any story for that matter. Also sorry for the time it took for this update, been having some technical issues of my own.

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

A week had gone by since Ajax had arrived at the school, a week of classes and training. Throughout the week he'd met many people, both mutant and human. Among other things he'd only vaguely noted the lack in telepathic communication from his sister...she said she'd speak if something came up. So far things had been quiet.

"Hey Ajax." Looking up he found his self appointed friend Julian walking across the library, "You have a free period?"

Nodding Ajax indicated the book he was reading, "Mom wants my Friday afternoons free...says we'll work on my transforming. Still can't go full wolf without losing control."

"Must be difficult...losing control like that." Julian frowned, "So how does Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde help you with control?"

Ajax huffed, "Right now I'm the doctor...civilized, well mostly." he indicated the training uniform under his clothes, "when I transform I become Hyde...less civilized and basically a raging animal."

Julian pulled the book away from him, "So understanding that does what...let you separate you into two people?"

"No...that would make me like my twin." Ajax frowned, "I think understanding the animal I become will allow me to control it better."

The telekinetic sighed, "Guess some powers are not as easy to master as others."

"Yeah feel lucky...I've looked at all the ferals on record...we're not a nice lot." Ajax noticed Kitty Pryde walking toward them, "What's up Miss Pryde?"

"Please, just call me Kat." She looked around the room, "Seen Megan and Talia around?"

Ajax took a deep breath through his nose, "They were here earlier...about...two hours ago...Talia teleported them somewhere else."

Shadowcat sighed, "I can't waiste all afternoon looking for those two...Kurt left on a mission this morning Talia never stays in class while he's gone."

"Mission?" Julian frowned, "I thought he was going to get her b-day present. Miss Frost has been actively blocking information about the party from Talia's mind so it will be a surprise."

Ajax stood up, "I'll go find them...two kids can't be any harder to track than a rampaging feral."

* * *

-School Grounds-

Growling Ajax had almost surrendered to eating his words when Kelly crossed paths with the shapeshifter, he'd smelled the two girl's scent coming from the human girl. The scent was much fresher, maybe five minutes at most.

"Where are they?" Ajax growled at her.

Kelly frowned at him, "Where are who?"

"Talia and Megan...you were near enough to get their scent on you." Ajax glared, "Transference of scent only occurs with direct contact."

Kelly pulled a beanie from her back pocket, "This is Megan's...I found it near the jungle gym out back."

"I just checked there...where the heck are they?" Ajax started off toward the small playground on the back lawn of the manor, barely aware Kelly followed.

As they passed the side lawn, where a small cemetery was Kelly grabbed his forearm, "Wait...I think I know where they are."

Curious he followed her into the cemetery, "Never been in here before."

"My mom is buried here...only a couple humans get buried here, but seeing as she was born at the manor they thought it fitting." Kelly's hand brushed over a headstone with the MRD logo at the top, "There's someone else buried here...he wasn't on our side, but he's kind of important to Megan."

Ajax frowned, "Why?"

"Because he was her biological father." Kelly pointed to a back corner where there were a few untended headstones, weeds and vines had overgrown a couple.

Sitting next to one of the headstones Megan and Talia were talking as the former pulled at the weeds. Kelly watched as Ajax calmed, his feral features softening slightly only his permanent features remained. Leaping over a headstone he landed in a crouch, "Yo...ditching class is fun and all, but aren't you two a bit young for it."

Megan turned to Ajax, "How'd you find us?"

He tapped his nose, "The nose knows...though I had some help." He pointed to Kelly who walked over to join them.

Talia looked up at the older girl, "Were you sent to find us to?"

"No, but I thought Ajax was frustrated enough...you left scent markers all over the place." Kelly turned to Ajax, "Shadowcat always sends a feral after them, you guys are the only ones with half a chance to find them if they don't want to be found."

Ajax looked at the name on the headstone Megan was cleaning, "Mastermind...so...a telepath?"

Megan nodded, "Yeah...he wasn't a nice person...when he was dying he begged Mrs. Summers to find me. Her and Mr. Summers found me and brought me to the manor."

Frowning Ajax turned to Kelly, "She didn't know him?"

Kelly's right arm went across her body to rub her left, "No...Megan is one of three bastard daughter Mastermind had...the other two are older and fighting over his legacy. Megan's mom knew about Mastermind's powers and beliefs...her step dad was unaware, Scott and Jean avoided mentioning Mastermind when they collected Megan." Kelly bowed her head, "It was my Uncle that killed Mastermind."

Ajax noticed Megan didn't react, "You knew?"

Megan nodded, "Yeah...but I know he had no other choice."

"Bad things happen to bad people." The four kids turned to find an MRD agent walking toward them.

Kelly rushed towards him, "Gregor you're back!"

"Yep, the Professor says babysitting the Senator isn't my job anymore." He looked over the three mutants, "Girls get back to class, no reason to be hanging around this place."

Megan and Talia nodded, with Talia grabbing Megan's hand and teleporting them away. Ajax looked the agent over, he was wearing a slimed down version of the trooper's gear, with less body armor. Not seeing any reason to hang around the cemetery he made his way to the steps leading to the path around the mansion.

* * *

-Danger Room-

Rahne watched her team exit the Danger Room, she having 'died' earlier in the simulation. James and Dani were helping Roberto who was limping on a twisted ankle, Sam and Karma were supporting a winded Illyana. The Shapeshifter looked over the battered and bruised team, "What happened in there?"

Dani checked Roberto's ankle before looking up, "I'm not sure...the danger room is supposed to try and kill us, but it's like the safety protocols were switched off." She looked at Rahne's burned hands, "How are you?"

Rahne flexed her fingers, "They'll be fine in a couple hours...I thought the flamethrowers were turned off."

"They were, I had the setting only at level six, standard lasers, capture claws, and other standard weapon loads. I switched off all missiles and flamethrowers." Karma looked at the rest of the team, "Did anyone enter the control room after I set the simulation?"

Dani stood up, "Sam, get everyone to the infirmary. Rahne and I will check the control room."

"Right, after I get everyone to the infirmary I'll check in at the War Room, maybe they have some idea what's going on." Sam picked up Illyana as Karma moved to help James with Roberto.

Once their teammates disappeared around the corner the two young women went the opposite way, coming to an open door. Entering the control room they found the computer monitors flashing erratically, and the view window was cracked from repeated strikes by a capture claw. On the main console a light was flashing an incoming message.

Rushing to the console Dani answered, "This is Danger Room controle, who is this?"

"Danger Room...finally we've been trying to reach you guys for an hour." A hurried voice responded, "This is Major Wilkes, the War Room is under omega protocol lockdown...all blast doors between us and the elevators are closed."

Rahne frowned, "Our teammates are headed for the infirmary...is the path clear?"

A moment's pause before the Major responded again, "Got them on motion sensors and cameras, they're just outside the infirmary." Another pause and the Major continued, "My slicers were able to get the door open for them...Dr. Saiko can bring them up to speed."

Dani looked up to see a missile launcher aimed at the weakened window, "We need to shut the Danger Room down now."

"You'll have to cut power there we have no access to that wing." The Major's voice started to break up, "Comm systems...breaking up...switching to suit...comms..."

Both new mutants reached up to the X logo on their chests tapping them to activate their suits built in communicators. Rahne smashed her transformed fist through the control panel ripping out a mess of circuitry. The Danger Room went quiet the missile aiming at them ceased to function.

Dani spoke out loud, "This is Moonstar to all X-Men, the Danger Room is offline."

"We hear you Dani...the rest of our team is in the infirmary." Sam's voice was strained, "Making my way to the War Room...using the vents."

Rahne looked to the vent above them, "What about the security measures in there?"

"Kinetic barrier seems to do the trick." Sam grunted, "Though the collapsing vents are annoying."

"Be careful Sam." Dani continued, "Awaiting orders."

Scott's voice responded, "Dani are you alone?"

"No, Rahne is with me." Dani looked to the open door, "The door here isn't locked."

"The security barriers in that area are still damaged following Caine's rampage." Scott continued, "You two make your way to Cerebro, the Professor and Logan are rallying a group of X-Men to secure the school."

Rahne and Dani shared a look, "What happened?"

"Security problems are affecting the upper levels as well. We can't reach anyone up there, and to top it all off we have an uninvited guest that's about to breach the perimeter." Scott sighed, "The Juggernaut is ten minutes out."

* * *

-Manor-

Gregor Wainwright paced around the entry hall as he tried to make contact with the sublevels. All his communications were either answered by static or feedback. As he paced Ajax and Kelly sat on the stairs looking at the metal sheets covering the windows. The main doors were sealed shut, locked and electrified.

Ajax looked up at the skylight were a Sentinel stood looking in at them, "What's that thing doing?"

Kelly pulled a pager from her pocket, "It's monitoring the mansion...it's reporting an attempt to subvert it's programing from an outside source." Kelly turned to her cousin, "Gregor the Mansion's systems have been hacked."

The Agent frowned, "That's not possible...our systems are closed on the MRD network." He pulled out his phone, "This is Agent Wainwright...Gregor...our Sentinels are reporting unauthorized system traffic. Assess and report." He discontinued the call and turned to the two kids, "Kelly, you and Ajax head for the atrium, Miss Frost was lecturing in there. I'm headed upstairs to get Shadowcat look for any other X-Men who are still up here."

"Great...just one problem." Ajax pointed to the hall, which was blocked by a blast shield with a high voltage light flashing.

Gregor slapped the shapeshifter as he jogged up the steps, "You're a mutant, think of something." With that he disappeared into the second floor.

Kelly frowned, "Wish my brother was here...he's more useful than Gregor."

"From my experience MRD agents are just red shirts." Ajax moved to the blast shield.

Kelly looked aghast, "Red shirts? Wait do you even know what that means?"

"Of course...expendable extras from an old sci-fi show." Ajax grinned, "I don't sleep much, mom and I sneak into the kitchen for a snack and watch reruns."

Kelly dropped her head, "Great, of all the mutants I could get stuck with...I get the insomniac werewolf."

"I prefer the term shapeshifter," Green energy started coursing over his arms, "Now if you're done with your pity party let's get moving." Slamming his hands into the blast shield the high voltage light exploded and the door slowly sank back into the floor.

Kelly was surprised, "You knew you could do that?"

Ajax was breathing heavily, "Yeah...blue energy heals...green shuts down electronics...yellow stuns...red kills." Ajax looked at her seriously, "My twin and I can both use the green and yellow...I got blue, and he has red...so stay away from him if he ever shows up again."

"What about any other colors?" Kelly slipped over the slowly sinking security door.

Ajax frowned, "Don't know...never tried for anything else...never needed anything else." Seeing the next door was merely a security door, no electricity warnings he took a closer look, trying to find a weakness. "Green is good for knocking out electric fences around chicken coops, and yellow helps when hunting."

Kelly frowned, "Is everything with you about food?"

"I'm a shapeshifter. I need to eat to live...especially if I'm going to need to transform a lot." He watched as Kelly took out her pager again and pressed it into a slot. A moment later the door ejected the pager and partially opened, "What is that thing?"

Kelly waved it in his face, "MRD emergency band...works as a key card on some of these doors."

"Why doesn't everyone have one?" Ajax noticed her tense up, "You're not supposed to have it."

It wasn't a question but she answered, "Not technically...I'm not MRD, just related to a bunch of them. Dad gave me this awhile back, said I was to use it in case of emergency."

Ajax followed her through the partially opened security door, "Good to know...do you hear that?"

"What?" Kelly listened hard, but couldn't hear anything, "No...what is it?"

Turning the way they came the Shapeshifter focused his hearing, "Something big...I can almost feel the vibrations. It's heading this way."

* * *

-North Dakota Military Base-

General Striker stood in the control room as his team worked to break the MRD network. It had taken months to subtly connect the base network to the MRD's close network. With Senator Kelly backing out it fell to him to lead the fight against the mutant menace. One of his men turned to him, "Sir their countering us at every turn."

"Of course they are...has our surprise arrived yet?" The General had to pull several favors to get Cain Marko out of the SHIELD superhuman prison. Professor Xavier's stepbrother was a wild card, but would provide a valuable distraction.

Another soldier turned to him, "Sir they're backtracking us...they'll have our location in thirty minutes."

Striker glared at the man, "Than you have twenty to break their system."

The door to the secure room opened allowing a Lieutenant to enter, "Sir, we have a problem...some of the men are wondering why you have the base on high alert."

"Get rid of them, I don't have time for those without conviction in our cause." Striker backed up so he stood before a flag with the Purifier logo proudly displayed, "From this day forward we are at war."

* * *

-Xavier's School for the Gifted-

Emma Frost felt the unfiltered fear and worry of the students, she sent out feeling of calm. Xavier had warned her of the lockdown a moment before the psionic shields went up. That had been concerning as those shields were not used since the death of Mastermind...and her defection from the Hellfire Club. Reaching out she could feel the other X-Men in the manor.

Kitty was upstairs with the preschoolers and kindergartners...Pietro and Alex were in the gym with a few students...and Piotr was in the garage helping the troopers checking school's vehicles. Focusing she could barely touch their minds through the shields, "Kat, Colossus, Quicksilver, Havok...we...have a...situation."

They could not respond, nor could she see their thoughts. Seeing the Sentinel guarding the atrium move toward the front of the manor she forwarded the image sent to her by Xavier. The image of a giant man wearing red and orange armor, and dome helmet. It was the only warning she could give them.

She was surprised when the door to the atrium opened to reveal Ajax and Kelly, "You two?"

Kelly held up her pager, "Pass key...and Ajax has his way through doors."

"I do hope it was less destructive than your last time breaking a security lockdown." Emma noticed Ajax was tense and half transformed, "What's wrong?"

Ajax turned back towards the hall, "Something's coming...something big."

"The Juggernaut is on his way...why I can't fathom." Emma motioned for them to enter then relocked the door, "Marko should be in prison following his last rampage." She looked at her class, most of this group was human, only Julian and Josh were mutants. "Alright, here's what we're going to do..."

A sudden earth shaking crash brought their attention to the electrified windows, a Sentinel head lay in the yard eyes flickering as they died. The students moved away from the window, Emma Frost putting herself between the students and the window, "...everyone stay back."

"Look!" One of the students pointed to the roof where the Juggernaut stood.

Juggernaut leapt at the glass roof of the atrium, Julian threw up a platform of kinetic energy to shield the class as shattered glass rained down on them. The massive magic powered superhuman stood up glaring at the students and Frost, "Huh...just a bunch of brats and a woman..." He leered at the White Queen's attire, "...well not a total waste."

Frost took a ready stance, "Marko, stand down...others are coming as we speak."

"Think they'll stand a chance against me...now where's that crippled brother of mine." Juggernaut yelled, "Hey Chuck, you too scared to face me?"

"Grr...Shut your trap!" Ajax barreled into the massive man growing to equal mass, but still rebounded off the unmoveable giant. Rubbing his head he snarled, "What the hell are you made of?"

Marko chuckled, "Guess you're new...names Juggernaut, going to take more than your growing trick to stop me." The Juggernaut reached down and picked up the rapidly shrinking mutant, "What? Can't maintain your size."

"Put him down Marko." Juggernaut tuned to find Colossus standing in the now opened doorway a squad of heavily armed troopers flanking him, "Face someone your own size." The mutant activated his living metal skin.

Juggernaut shrugged at the feral mutant in his grasp tossing him toward electrified glass, which he struck with enough force to smash through.

* * *

-Sublevels-

Logan sliced open the elevator doors revealing the lift was stuck between floors, "Great...where's Rasputin when you need him?"

"Hopefully upstairs holding Juggernaut away from the kids." Jean Grey-Summers reached out with her mind and pulled the lift down, "We need someone to go down to the mainframe and shut down the security measures."

Nodding Logan turned to Caliban, "You and me bub, we'll climb down while the others head up to face chuckles."

Hank looked at Rahne, "We'll climb up and help deal with Marko," he turned to Jean, "We may need your help with him."

"Of course, the psi-shield doesn't block my telekinesis." Jean looked to Dani, "You and the others make your way to the War Room, help Scott regain control of the systems." Dani nodded.

As most the X-Men moved down the hall Rogue and Storm remained to accompany the surface team. Logan extended his claws and cut holes in the lift to allow the teams to move, "Let's get this done."

* * *

-War Room-

Anders Cobb sat at his console rushing through subroutines fighting back against the unknown hackers. His fellow slicers were following his lead, using algorithms created by the recently deceased Doug Ramsey. Cypher, while a young mutant was a master with computers, his loss nearly a year earlier had hindered much of MRD slicer's duties. Cobb wondered if that may have led to this attack today.

So focused on keeping the hacker out of sensitive files he nearly missed it, a trojan virus used exclusively by the army. He knew this from his time in the armed forces, before making the move to the MRD. Any civilian would never noticed the trojan...not even the best hackers out there. Turning to his partner he called out, "The hackers are military...back hack along our military network connections."

"Already on it." Gale Ferris, his partner and trainee began tracking the infection of the system. Ferris unlike Cobb was legacy MRD, her parents and majority of her relatives served. For her this wasn't merely an attack on her employer, it was an attack on her family, her home.

Cobb turned back to his own task, the hacker had nearly broken the latest firewall he'd thrown up. Putting a few traps behind his firewall he decided it was time to quite playing defense. Loading a set of viruses he quickly created a series of false files to carry his attack into the enemy systems.

Gale's voice registered, "Add a tracking virus I'll monitor its progress."

"Right, I'll also send a signal to X-Force for them to track." From behind he sensed people entering the room, but ignored them to continue his task.

Major Wilkes stood at the holographic table watching the manor alarms going on and off, "We can't even tell where he's at...can't Logan hurry up and shut down the mainframe, a hard reboot will end this attack."

Standing across from the major Scott Summers watched the flickering life monitors, identified individuals kept moving around. If Nightcrawler was at the manor he'd think Kurt was moving people around...though the movements made no logical sense. Talia could be moving people, if it were only kids being moved.

A sudden bamf sound ended that theory as Talia landed in the War Room panicked, "Mister Summers...a bad man is attacking the school."

"I know Talia, we have other problems as well...weren't you with Kitty and Megan?" Summers was worried as the girl was rarely alone.

A nod of her blue head she leapt on the table and pointed to the second floor, "Miss Pryde is getting our class to the safe room...Mister Maximoff started helping. They said there's no defense for my power down here."

Scott was thankful for that, as Nightcrawler's father was the only non-allied mutant with their exact form of teleportation. Luckily the man was rarely in their dimension, and wasn't a major threat...more of a nuisance.

Quickly jotting down a message he handed it to the girl, "Get this to Miss Frost...she should have been in the atrium." The fear the girl was showing at the mention of the atrium concerned him, "What's wrong Talia?"

"Um...the bad man...he attacked the atrium.." Talia looked hopeful the older mutant would change her destination.

Cyclopes cursed, he wasn't going to send a child into the Juggernaut's path of destruction. He was just contemplating his next move when the vent above his head opened and Sam Guthrie dropped into the room. Without a word he blasted a door panel in frustration causing the failsafe to initiate snapping the door open. Scott had contemplated doing that, but didn't want to resort to damaging the mansion if it was avoidable.

Coming through the door was the rest of the New Mutants along with Gambit and Warren. Seeing Magik enter he felt relief, "Illyana I need to know if you can make a portal to the upper levels."

Magik nodded, "Yes, it's how we got out of the infirmary."

Scott noticed Dani, "Where's the Professor and the others?"

Mirage sighed, "The Professor is still in Cerebro with Lorna and Guido, the others went upstairs to help with Marko."

"Got the slimy sons of a bitch!" Gale leapt from her seat a fist raised in victory, "North Dakota...military base ran by General William Striker. Eat that you two faced snake."

"Private Faris...control yourself." Wilkes had moved quickly to cover Talia's ears, "There's a child present."

The woman turned around embarrassment evident on her face, "Sorry sir. We have a location."

Gambit smirked, 'Aye petiet, we heard the first time."

Cobb turned to them, "X-Force is enroute with two detachments of MRD troopers...also a battalion from a neighboring base is enroute." The MRD slicer smirked, "I'd also like to report the park is once more under our control."

* * *

-North Dakota-

Striker glared at the screens flashing MRD and X logos, a couple screens also flashed skulls laughing at him. He had been on the verge of victory, his hackers saying they'd finally broken the firewall and reached the files hidden behind. The files had been too good to be true.

Turning to his lieutenant he bowed his head, "Prepare my chopper...I've no doubt they have tracked us." Heading toward the door he looked to the group of hackers, "Leave no evidence."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: Check the ending for a big note.

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Pain racked his body as he regained his senses. The sound of battle nearby as laser bolts flew overhead, thunderous impacts of super strength punches echoed in his head. Ajax feeling the grass and broken glass on his back tried to roll over but was quickly stopped, "Wouldn't do that...got a good sized piece in your side."

A hand held him down as he felt a stabbing pain be replaced by burning, the pain ended quickly as his healing factor closed up the wound and stopped the bleeding, it take at least a day for the wound to completely heal yet it no longer threatened his life. Sitting up he found Alex Summers kneeling over him, "What happened?"

"You went toe to toe with Juggernaut, not the brightest idea. Piotr is keeping him busy, you able to move?" Alex didn't wait for an answer as he pulled the boy to his feet.

Ajax was surprised by his surroundings, the atrium was gone, a forest of twisted metal and broken glass. The plants that used to decorate the room were scattered, the chairs and tables where students had been seated at only an hour earlier were scattered about. Who would unleash such a being upon a school?

Alex placed a hand on his shoulder, "You okay?"

"Who would do this to a school?" Ajax growled, "Do they hate us that much?"

"Hate...fear...who knows what motivates someone." Alex looked to where the other students had fled away from the fight, "Go on, the students are over there, get them to the tool shed by the fence, there is a safe room inside."

Nodding Ajax limped a few steps before dropping to all fours and charging across the yard. With the kid out the line of fire Alex turned to where Juggernaut was shielding himself from another laser barrage. Emma's voice suddenly rang in his head, "Alex, the cavalry is here, and security is once more under our control."

"Good, let's put him down." Charging up a blast Havok aimed to knock the dome helmet off the immortal avatar.

-Safe Room-

Julian handed Josh another first aid kit as he used a pair of tweezers to pull another bit of glass from Ajax shoulder, "You do know how lucky you are to have a healing factor right?" He grabbed a scalpel from the new kit and cut the healing skin to pull another piece of glass out, "Yet it sure does make cleaning wounds troublesome."

"Well...got a few splinters still embedded in my feet." Ajax held up his hand, and dug out a sliver of glass, "Wish my healing was like the others...forcing foreign material out."

Kelly noticed his hand was healing slower than the other wounds, "Um...does your healing have limits?"

"Yeah...my energy levels are low. Haven't eaten since lunch, and that growing trick takes a lot out you." Ajax's reflexes snapped to life as something flew at him, one of the human kids had tossed him an energy bar, "Thanks."

The boy walked over to the group, "No problem...it was brave, stupid, but brave for you to go up against Juggernaut." A minor quake and dust falling from the ceiling drew their attention upwards, "Sounds like the big guns are up there."

Julian broadcast his thoughts, waiting for some reply, "Miss Frost says the adults are still working on Juggernaut." He looked at Ajax, "Your mom broke one of the locks on Juggernaut's helmet...she's nursing a broken leg for that."

Alex growled but remained seated, there wasn't anything he'd be able to do in his current state. Kelly suddenly jumped up, "You said you could stun someone right?"

Holding up his slow healing hand sparks of yellow energy shot up, "Usually yeah...never tried someone that big before."

A voice suddenly echoed in their heads, "Open that door and you're all on kitchen duty for the rest of the quarter." Everyone winced at the psychic equivalent of a yelling voice.

"Okay...attempting to save the day out of the question." An older boy pulled out a deck of cards, "Anyone for a game of go fish?"

-Manor Grounds-

Colossus slammed a fist into Marko's helmeted face, "You attack us in our home Marko...how foolish you are."

Juggernaut grabbed his helmet that jumped due to two locking clasps being broken. The shapeshifter bitch had snapped one off in a surprise attack, another had been ripped off by Rogue. Cain Marko glared at the man of living metal, "Huh, it isn't me who has to hold back or fear hurting a bunch of brats."

"Yeah, that just means we take you down hard and fast." Iron Man came hurtling out of the sky firing repulsor blasts at Juggernaut.

Alex leapt up on a pile of rubble, "What the hell are you doing here Stark?"

"We call it saving the day." Stark indicated a quinjet that came to hover over the manor. Out of the back of the quinjet Captain America, Vision, and Hawkeye exited. The jet landed and Scarlet Witch and Black Widow exited, Falcon and Miss Marvel flew in. "Now Marko surrender or we will take you down."

Juggernaut glared at the assembled heroes and X-Men, "I'm not scared of you."

Charles Xavier exited the damaged school, "Cain." The Juggernaut turned to his stepbrother. Xavier looked at the damage caused by his brother, "You dare to threaten my students."

Marko backed away from his brother, "You can't hurt me Chuck...my helmet is still on."

"An easy enough problem to solve." He turned to Scarlet Witch, "Wanda if you would please."

Wanda Maximoff rose into the air and fired a hex bolt at Marko's helmet, which subsequently flew off his head. An instant later his eyes widened and dulled as he dropped to his knees.

With a heavy sigh Xavier turned away from Juggernaut, "Piotr restrain him and place him in the hanger until we can have him returned to his cell."

Colossus nodded with the help of Strong Guy who'd come up with the Professor dragged the immortal toward a lift. The rest of the X-Men began cleaning up the damage, actively ignoring the group of Avengers standing in the yard. Steve Rogers nervously turned to his teammates, "Help with the clean up...Stark and I will speak with the Professor."

Wanda watched as a limping Wolfsbane made her way to a tool shed. The shapeshifter opened the door, and quickly several kids climbed out of a hidden hatch. None of them were blue skinned, and all were much too old to be her daughter.

"If you're looking for Talia she is below in the War Room." Wanda turned to find Emma Frost standing imperiously before her. The telepath crossed her arms, "You are lucky, Kurt is away."

"How are they?" Wanda was actually curious of their well being.

"They are happy." Emma turned and sent a psychic blast telling Wolfsbane to sit down before she made her leg worse, "They have each other, and they have us. Azazel only makes periodic surprise visits."

"Kurt's father?" Wanda was surprised. Azazel was a villian, an unaffiliated one who has been known to work with everyone from the Hellfire Club to Magneto. Only Mystique seemed to be able to claim any loyalty from the red teleporter. "Has he...has he hurt her?"

"No." Emma frowned, "We've only caught him on the grounds a couple times. Once shortly after you abandoned her on the grounds, and last year on her birthday we found him playing with her in a commons room." Emma buffed her fingers, "Though we haven't caught him, Talia does seem to get new toys regularly the reciets appear on Kurt's nightstand."

Wanda rubbed her arm, "Does she...does she know about me?"

"She knows her mother is a mutant, and that she doesn't live here." The voice startles Wanda as she turns to find Lorna and Pietro standing before her. She hasn't seen Lorna since she left the manor. Her twin she hadn't seen since he left the Avengers, angered by her betrayal of their people.

Pietro glared at her, "She knows Lorna and me are your siblings, but beyond that..." Unable to stand being in her presence Quicksilver vanished in a burst of speed.

Lorna rubbed her brow, "Excuse him Wanda...he doesn't know how to react, or how he really feels." Lorna spotted a group of kids starting to clean up broken glass, "Kids, careful with that it's plate glass."

Across the yard Rahne leaned against a tree as Hank McCoy examined her leg, "Well you're lucky, it seems to be a clean break. Rest it for a couple hours and your healing should fix it." He then turned to Ajax, "As for you...Josh told me he pried most the glass from your back. Once we get the sublevels cleaned up I want to do a full scan. It's probably not good for you to have so much embedded under your skin."

Rahne reached up and pulled on a piece of shredded shirt, "Guess we need to get you fitted for a uniform, you'll need something that grows with you."

He yanked at a piece of his trashed jeans, "Yeah, haven't gotten that big since my last fight with my brother."

The Beast rubbed his chin, "Perhaps our new 'friends' could helps us solve this problem, we don't have many X-Men with drastic size changes with their transformations...and the few we do have can change their clothing." He looked at the group of Avengers milling about the yard, "Hank Pym would know something of making eleastic uniforms that can stand up to day to day use."

"Does it hurt." Ajax looked at Rahne's leg, "I could fix it."

Rahne huffed, "It'll heal in a couple hours...besides you should save up your healing energy for yourself."

"She right, we don't know the full extent of your healing factor...burning it out can be detrimental to your health." Hank accepted a first aid kit from an MRD trooper and began splinting Rahne's leg, "After I get this done you can both go inside and rest."

Ajax was about to comment when he felt a strange cutting feeling along his shoulder and neck. He let out an involuntary yelp as pieces of glass freed itself from his skin. A shocked Beast and Rahne watched the glass fly off toward the quickly reforming atrium. Nearby Scarlet Witch was using her power to undo the damage caused by the fight.

Rahne was on her feet charging at the red clad Avenger, "Wanda!"

Hearing her name the Scarlet Witch turned to the enraged lupine feral, "Rahne?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Rahne's clawed finger was inches from Wanda's face, "Your powers are ripping the glass shards out of my son's neck."

Wanda looked to where the feral boy was holding his bloody shoulder, she turned back to Rahne, "I'm terribly sorry Rahne, I didn't know."

"Mom, I'm fine." Ajax was at Rahne's side gently pulling her away from the Avenger, "You need to let Doc McCoy finish on your leg."

Wanda turned to the boy, "I'm sorry child...I wasn't aware..."

"Don't you speak to him." Rahne transformed unconsciously, causing Ajax to mimic to maintain his hold on her.

Help arrived with a bamph sound and hint of sulfur in the air. Kurt, eyes narrowed placed a calming hand on Rahne's shoulder, "Calm fraulein, you're aggravating your leg."

With a snarl Rahne turned away and limped back to the tree, Beast met her halfway helping her to sit back down. Ajax turned to Nightcrawler, "Thanks...I thought you wouldn't be back till this evening?"

Kurt grinned, "Headed back when my communicator started acting up." The blue elf glanced at Wanda before continuing, "I know you're curious Ajax, vas allow me a few words with Vanda."

With a nod Ajax darted after his mother, the older mutants watched as he dropped to her side where he was enveloped in Rahne's arms before they both reverted to their human form, or as human as Ajax got. It was Wanda who broke the silence, "Are you really going to tell him?"

"Vat, that you used your powers to nearly cripple his mother while you stole from us?" Kurt grimaced, "I vould never, but I vould not bet on Rahne." Looking around the yard he noticed most everyone had gone about their business, "I'm surprised Talia is not here."

Wanda bit her lip, "Emma said she's down in the War Room...she was probably looking for you."

"No, she vas no doubt trying to help...our powers are about the only way to communicate during lockdown." Nightcrawler noticed several tense MRD troopers, "I think ve should talk somewhere else." Without waiting for a response he grabbed her arm and teleported away.

* * *

-Xavier's Office-

Professor Xavier waited for the two Avengers to take the seats in front of his desk. Scott, Jean, and Logan entered, the couple taking a seat on a couch, while Logan took his usual place against a bookshelf. Xavier frowned as he leaned back in his wheelchair, "While I'm appreciative of your assistance this afternoon, I must wonder about your sudden arrival."

Rogers and Stark shared a look before Rogers spoke, "Actually we were sent by Fury...to negotiate the arrest of Piotr Rasputin, also known as Colossus. We have evidence that he met with Mystique following her theft of classified SHIELD files." Captain America planned out his next words, "Though we doubt he was actively involved with the theft...he did accept stolen goods."

"Files you were already going to willingly turn over." Logan examined his knuckles, reminding the avengers of the deadly weapons hidden beneath the skin.

Stark crossed his arms, "Perhaps...we aren't sure of what all was taken." He turned back to the Professor, "Xavier you know the situation between our two groups has been tense...worse these last six years since the whole Scarlet Witch debacle. Hell, I'm half expecting to find the outside scattered with unconscious X-Men and Avengers before we leave." He pressed a button deactivating his armor, standing up it condensed into a briefcase, "As a show of good faith I'm basically depowered right now."

"Nice, would you do that if Cap wasn't sitting right next to you?"

"Enough Logan." Scott turned to the Avengers, "Piotr was sent to collect a drive after we received a coded message from your Agent Hill...it's not our fault it turned out she wasn't who we thought."

Jean continued, "Also we have enough evidence of SHIELD's actions regarding mutant activities...we know they attacked Sinister's labs."

"We were only recently made aware of those events...how did you find out." Cap looked between the telekinetic and master telepath.

Xavier sighed, "Ajax..due to his origins has an eidetic memory. Though things were vague he could perfectly describe a SHIELD uniform, without ever having seen one before. Apparently their arrival allowed for his escape from the lab with his twin...though he knew another that didn't escape."

"The girl...she was kept in stasis until about six years ago. Banner and Pym felt it was the longest we could keep her that way, we're not sure what happened but she's vanished." Tony looked at Xavier, "The same day you lot found Ajax and Caine...like she was waiting for that."

Xavier nodded, "I do not doubt it. She has been guiding Ajax for some time, I'd have to run a scan to know exactly when she made first contact."

Both Avengers frowned, "She's been in contact with him?" Rogers leaned forward, "But you never said you found her to."

"We didn't." Jean drew their attention, "She's a powerful telepath...strong enough to shield her brother's mind and her own from the programming Sinister subject him and most like her to."

"Wait you mean she's powerful enough to communicate over vast distances?" Tony leaned forward, "Why didn't she just tell him where she is? Or what they were created for."

Scott stood with a huff, "Because she's not ready to, though apparently she was ready to leave SHIELD's loving embrace."

"Technically SHIELD had found her before the MRD claimed all mutants were technically their jurisdiction." Tony looked at the four mutants in the room, "I mean are you guys acting on their will?"

"No." Logan sneered, "The MRD answers to us."

"Keep telling yourself that." Stark shook his head, "There's no way you can have complete control of an organization as large as the MRD."

"It's not a matter of control." the door opened allowing Henry Wainwright to enter, "It's a matter of family." He crossed over to the desk and dropped a pair of folders, "Reports from the slicers and department heads...also we got a call from Cable they're almost at the base. He said he has Dazzler and Deadpool with him, guess he's worried Psylocke would lose her temper if left with Wade again."

"Understood, send a squad to back up Betsy then prepare a statement for the press, and before the release assure all parents are assured their children remain safe here."

"Yes sir." Wainwright turned to leave, "Oh, I almost forgot, Kurt took Miss Maximoff off the grounds. Some of the troopers were getting a bit edgy...seeing as she's a wanted fugitive."

Tony and Steve both looked uncomfortable, while not directly involved with the events six years earlier they'd known Wanda had a warrant out for her arrest, but SHIELD had been protecting her...Fury's way of repaying her. Steve stood, "I'll get Widow and Hawkeye to take her back to the mansion."

"Actually I believe we've discovered how to amicably solve our current predicament." Xavier spoke over the folder he was examining, "You resend any charges against Piotr, we lift the espionage charges against Wanda."

Tony frowned, "I have a feeling we're getting the short end there."

"We are." Steve crossed his arms, "Wanda is also charged with aggravated assault, aggravated attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and potential reckless endangerment of a minor...some of those are multiple charges."

Wainwright huffed, "You didn't see the mess she left on her way out of here."

"That's enough Henry," Xavier waited for the man to leave before continuing, "My apologies, his sister was hit by a hex bolt that night...she has been unable to walk unaided since then."

* * *

Understanding the situation was more complicated the Avengers decided to retreat, before their welcome was worn out. Collecting their teammates they boarded the quinjet and left. The X-Men went about cleaning up the damage caused by Juggernaut, though most the physical damage had been corrected the emotional damage remained.

Ajax wondered the mansion, seeing how different people responded to the attack. He'd left his mother in their room...Beast had given her a sedative to get her to sleep until her leg healed.

The first people he encountered was Kelly and her father. The elder Wainwright had already thanked him for looking out for his daughter during the attack. Though truthfully he'd failed looking out for her when he allowed Marko to catch him.

Slipping past the Wainwrights without being seen was easy enough, but running into a father daughter moment between Kurt and Talia hadn't been expected. They were in an alcove near the history class, Talia in all her six year old fury appeared cross with her father. Keeping from being seen he eavesdropped on the teleporters.

"Talia I had no idea this would happen." Kurt pleaded with the little girl.

Talia's golden eyes narrowed, "Not good enough daddy...you left without telling me, and then that bad man showed up."

"You were safe. You know Uncle Scott and Uncle Logan wouldn't let him get near you." Kurt noticed Ajax lingering in the shadows, smirking he revealed the shadows was no place to hide from him, "And I'm sure Ajax would try."

Stepping from his hiding place Ajax frowned, "You saw me?"

Kurt tapped his temple, "Night vision, comes in handy to prevent eavesdroppers."

"Your dad is right...that Juggernaut creep would have to get past me to get to you." Ajax rubbed his head, "Though next time I'll remember to eat lunch before going toe to toe with a giant."

Kurt frowned, "You didn't eat lunch?"

"I was waiting in the library for my mom to get done with her danger room session." Ajax noticed Talia looking at the floor, "I had to go find a couple truents."

The Nightcrawler huffed, "Talia...you and Megan snuck out of class again?"

The girl vanished and reappeared behind Ajax, he looked toward her, "Hey don't hide behind me."

* * *

A/N: Okay next chapter things should pick up story wise, also I'll add some info notes in coming chapters. Info notes will come in three forms. History notes, which will be presented as either flashbacks or news reports. Character bios, which will be presented as memos and data entries. Finally looks at alternate futures for the characters of this story.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: Check the ending for a big note.

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Rahne awoke suddenly to darkness. The room lights were off, the moon illuminating her quarters in gloomy white light. It took only a moment to realize she was alone. Ajax scent was hours old, but it was the lack of him at her side that revealed his absence. For the past week around midnight Ajax had slipped from his cot, and curled up at the back of her legs.

The first night she had tensed when she awoke to find him laying on the floor half under the bed, which was too low for him to squeeze under. It had taken only a moment to realize a thunder storm had blown in. The crashing thunder and flashing lightning had driven him to seek shelter. After coaxing him onto the bed he'd transformed into his smaller wolf form and curled up next to her.

Following that there hadn't been a night she hadn't woken to find him next to her, that is till now. Slipping out of bed she grabbed some sweatpants and exited into the hall. The mansion was quiet, the recovery from the hacking and subsequent Juggernaut attack was well underway. There were fewer MRD troopers present, at least visibly. Releasing some control she transformed into her first transitional form.

A barrage of scents assailed her nose, all were familiar to her. Sam's was faded, he going home to visit his family, James and Roberto had passed her door recently getting home late, Dani and Karma had long since gone to their rooms. The sound of her four teammates steady breathing would be unnoticed by anyone else. Finally she caught Ajax's scent, it was stronger in the hall than it was inside their room, meaning he had come back to the room recently.

Following his most recent path she quickly became confused. His trail didn't seem to lead anywhere, he was walking down each hall, pausing before random doors before continuing on. Realizing he was tracking something, she transformed further honing her senses. There was nothing out of place, no unfamiliar scents.

Turning a corner she found Logan and Kitty walking the opposite way, "Thanks Logan, I just don't know what's gotten into him. Lockheed usually stays with me."

"He's a dragon. Really think he needs more space than the school permits." Logan noticed Rahne, "Something wrong Rahne?"

Stopping next to them she transformed back to her human form, "Ajax is tracking something...I'm not sure what."

Logan frowned as Lockheed hurtled around the corner. The Dragon quickly landed on Kitty's shoulders and whispered into her ear. Shadowcat turned to them, "Lockheed said Ajax is downstairs." Her eyes widened, "Logan, get Kurt...Azazel is here."

* * *

-Down Stairs-

Azazel had been surprised when the new mutant in the manor had found him. In a building filled with ferals it was unwise to enter the halls. The Wolverine would have smelled him, or the sulfur smell left from his teleporting easily. So of course he hopped from room to room, being mindful not to linger. The few students who'd woken had groggily looked up before rolling over and going back to sleep. Obviously mistaking him for his son, they needed to teach these kids to be more observant.

Well at least there was one observant child in this bastion of upright goody two shoes. He hadn't even noticed the boy following him, he moved stealthily like a predator on the hunt. The boy had finally made his presence known as Azazel appeared in the sitting room, how he anticipated his arrival point was unknown.

The boy snarled as he transformed and stalked forward, dropping to all fours he could see the boy's muscles tense. If he even thought to move he was sure the feral shapeshifter would lunge. Azazel put up his hands in an unthreatening manner, wondering if someone else would arrive before sunrise.

A bamf between them revealed Talia who held her hand up toward the boy, "Ajax stop...that's my grandpa." The only response was a confused growl, but the boy's hackles rose as he move to shield Talia.

With a smirk Azazel lowered his hands, "Seems you've heard tales being told about me boy...Ajax is it?" An annoyed snarl was his only response, "I guess speech isn't easy in that form, perhaps you should turn back and we can discuss this little misunderstanding as civilized mutants."

"Ajax stand down now." Rahne entered the room now in uniform along with Shadowcat, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler. Kurt moved to his father's side grabbing both Talia and the red teleporter moved them further from the feral.

Azazel watched as Rahne transformed, the younger feral immediately heeded her as she snarled and snapped at him, hunched shoulders and lowered head signaled defeat. The boy reverted to his human form as Logan tossed him a shirt, "Good catch kid, but next time come get an adult."

Looking up at the older mutant Ajax growled, "That's what I told that flying lizard to do."

Lockheed landed next to Ajax seemingly supporting the boys argument. Kitty smirked as she crossed the room, "I think Logan means not confronting the intruder yourself...especially since you lose control when transformed."

Azazel looked at Kurt surprised, "You mean he was lost to his feral side just now?"

"He isn't dangerous to anyone here...an intruder or stranger on the other hand. Add to that Talia being in the room his instincts would have completely taken over." Kurt looked down at his daughter, "Talia why were you down here?"

The blue furred girl avoided eye contact, "I was looking for grandpa...he said he would visit tonight and bring my present."

"You mean you knew he was coming?" Logan crossed his arms, "How many times have we told you to tell us about these visits?"

Kitty placed a hand on Logan's arm to calm him down, "Logan, she's six, no need for you to be this mad."

Azazel moved to confront the Wolverine, "Don't blame her, I meant to tell Kurt...Mystique was undecided about accompanying me or not."

"She what?" Kurt and the others tensed, expecting the shapeshifter to appear suddenly.

Before anyone could react harshly Azazel raised his hands, "Calm down...she opted to wait until Kurt approached her about introducing them." Azazel frowned, "Of course that would no doubt mean an introduction to her other grandfather."

Ajax stood up, "Who is that?"

Wolverine growled, "Magneto...you'll learn about him soon enough." He turned back to the red teleporter, "You sound a bit jealous there."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Azazel pulled a package from his jacket and handed it to Talia, "Here you are little one, as promised." Noticing the looks on the others' faces he smirked, "Nothing dangerous or stolen."

Pulling the wrapping from the package revealed a small photo album. Talia opened it and began looking at the pictures already placed within, "Who are these people?"

Smiling Azazel moved to stand behind her and pointed at the individuals in the picture, "That's your family...of sorts. A few of my other sons, as well as a few of your grandma and her friends."

"Father could you please not fill her head with ideas those psychopaths are actually family." Kurt grumbled at the mention of his estranged siblings, "We're not one big happy family."

Logan looked at Ajax, "Thought your family was messed up didn't yeh."

The shapeshifter frowned, "Does Azazel and his kids want to wipe out civilization and rebuild in their image?"

Rahne looked surprised, "You been reading about your father?"

Looking sheepish Kitty stepped toward the door, "I might have left an unsecured padd were him and the other boys could get ahold of it. I caught them looking up Apocalyps."

Azazel looked up at the name, "So you're one of those mutates?"

Rahne growled, "He's no mutate...he's as much a mutant as any of us."

"Yeah, never was human." Ajax glared, "My father's beliefs would technically preclude calling a mutate son."

Backing away from the ferals Azazel raised his hands placatingly, "Sorry, my information must be incomplete...though it was assumed as Sinister was involved in your creation."

"Let's not discuss that right now." Logan glared at the teleporter, "Kurt, why don't you see your old man out. Kitty can see Talia back to your room, and Rahne can get Ajax to bed."

* * *

-Next Morning-

Professor Xavier sat in his office as Logan reported the night's events to him. He was less concerned about Azazel's breach of the school's security, that was a common and benign occurrence. That Ajax was looking into his father was not promising. "How much does he know about him?"

"Nothing but the basic facts, but enough to get riled up at any comparisons." Logan looked out the window, "He's been here a week, I'm surprised his curiosity hadn't been more obvious."

Charles frowned, "He's asked questions, but never to the right people. I'd felt his unwillingness to know the whole truth." Taking a sip of tea he continued, "Kitty's slip merely gave him an opportunity to answer those questions himself, and doubtlessly he was provoked by the others."

Logan pushed off from the wall and headed for the door, "I'll get Warren to have some words with him, been meaning get him to speak to the kid."

"Good idea, he'll be back tomorrow."

* * *

-Outside-

Kurt watched as the decorations were put up for Talia's party, he'd volunteered to help, but was rebuked by her aunts and uncle. Pietro was dashing about with his super speed while Lorna and Rogue used their own powers to help. Around the corner Gambit and Jubilee were setting up the fireworks for the evening. He was concerned about having two pyrokinetic mutants around that quantity of explosives.

Besides the potential danger something else had the Nightcrawler jumping at any sound. The conversation he'd had with his biologic father as he escorted the man from the grounds. Azazel had teleported in ten foot increments, causing Kurt to backtrack several times to find him. The elder teleporter wanted to speak with him in private, something hard to do with so many ferals within ear shot. Once they had reached a safe distance Azazel revealed Mystique and Erik both desired to meet their granddaughter, but knew the danger to themselves if they arrived unannounced.

Of course the Professor was the first person he informed of the upcoming visit. After that he'd spoken with the MRD officer, and had all agents and troopers with personal grudges disarmed or sent off site. Finally he personally went to each of his teammates to inform and impress that their personal feelings shouldn't color Talia's opinions.

"You need to relax sug." Kurt nearly teleported as Rogue landed next to him, "You're wound tighter than a pocket watch."

Kurt frowned at her, "It's not every day Erik and mother come visit...and we're not planning to fight."

Pietro slid to a stop next to them, "Eh, just wait, the day is young."

As though they were waiting for that a bamf sound echoed around the yard. Azazel stumbled as he released his hold on Mystique and Erik. Kurt was at his side instantly as the red teleporter didn't recover and dropped to a knee, "What happened?" He noted the smoldering spot on his father's chest.

Raven crossed her arms, "Don't worry Kurt, Iron Man didn't exactly take our sudden intrusion as well as Erik thought."

"How were you expecting him to react?" Everyone turned to see Wanda standing where she was deposited, a barely noticeable welt revealed Azazel had caught her with his tail before escaping the Avenger's mansion. She glared at her own father, "What were you thinking?"

Erik reached up to remove his helmet, "I thought you would appreciate seeing your daughter on her birthday, or did you forget what today is." It was a statement, not a question. Magneto then turned to Kurt, "I will be speaking with Xavier, have Pietro come find me." With that the master of magnetism walked toward the mansion.

Lorna frowned at her younger sister before shrugging, "Father must have his reasons."

* * *

-Later-

Kelly looked around the table she sat at for Talia's birthday. Her brother, cousin, and father were to her left while Julian, Ajax, Rahne sat to her right. She watched curious as Ajax used a clawed finger to poke the piece of cake that had been dropped in front of him by a speeding Quicksilver. Rahne caught his hand, "It's called cake...you've had cake before right?"

The feral glared at his mother, "Of course. Caine stole one from a grocery store for our birthdays...um well...our escape days would be a better word for it." He turned his glare back on the dessert, "I've just never seen one that bleeds."

Julian smirked, "That's not blood man, it's fruit filling. Talia likes strawberries and raspberries, so Lorna made her cake with filling."

"Then why do I smell blood?" Ajax words had Rahne transforming as a ripple of reactions went through the ferals present.

Kelly watched as Logan darted for the front of the mansion along with Rahne, Sam, and Alex Summers. Moments later they returned with a guilty looking Wade Wilson. Deadpool trailed behind the group, "I'm sorry, Wolvie, it's not like I knew there was fresh blood on my costume. It's red for a reason."

Logan turned back to the regenerator, "What are you doing here Wade?"

"Pulled the short straw, had to deliver the squirt's present from my team." The Merc with a Mouth pulled a package from a belt pouch, "See, I'm a team player." Deadpool glanced at the reader, "What you think this party was going to turn into a battle royal?"

"Wade, who are you talking too?" Logan glanced at the merc, "You go off your meds again?"

"Ah, don't be like that Wolvie," Deadpool dropped the package on the table with other presents, "So...I'd make a crack like staying for cake, but Betsy said I'd be her punching bag if I didn't drop and go without incident."

Kelly watched the odd mutate depart, then noticed Ajax had been watching Deadpool as well, "So where did the blood come from?"

Rahne answered, "When it comes to Deadpool, it's better not to ask."

Due to the large number of people at the mansion, birthdays were handled very simply. Presents were from teams, family members, or family groups. Though most individuals gave presents to their closer friends. Kelly had handled her family's gift, a bracelet with an imbedded tracker courtesy of Forge. She knew Ajax's name had been added to the gift given by the New Mutants, a new pair of fingerless gloves custom made for the teleporter's unique hands.

Once the party was rapping up Kelly followed the two mutants back into the mansion, the adults remaining behind to help clean up. Entering a sitting room Julian was the first to speak, "So...video games or movie?"

Huffing Kelly flopped onto the couch, "How can you be so calm? Wanda is here along with three people on the MRD's most wanted list."

"Technically Wanda is on the list too." Ajax saw the look shared by the others, "What? I looked up her file after the fight with that Marko guy. Wanted to know why mom was so angry...yeah hurt having that glass pulled out but I heal fast."

"So you know she left a trail of bodies behind her." Kelly glared out the window where the Scarlet Witch stood awkwardly listening as Talia spoke with her grandparents, "At least Magneto and Mystique have reasons when they attack...their ideological differences with the professor."

"Hey, your aunt survived, and there were no casualties." Julian looked to Ajax, "And our friend here hasn't gone all feral rampage over what she did to his mom, so we have to move on."

"Um...Julian you do realize when that happened I was floating in a tank in a mad scientists' lab. Being experimented on and programed to be a killing machine." Ajax crossed his arms, "Besides my mother is perfectly capable of fighting her own battles...unlike yours rich boy."

Julian sneered, "My mom doesn't need to fight, dad just pays for security."

Kelly shook her head as Skin walked into the room, "Hey we're about to start the fireworks, you lot coming."

"I will never understand people's fascination with bright lights and loud explosions...don't we get enough of that in the danger room?" Ajax grumbled as he followed the other back outside.

* * *

-Next Morning-

Ajax woke to his mother stroking his hair, after the fireworks display the young mutant hadn't even pretended to go to his cot, instead flopping on the corner of her bed, "Too early, breakfast isn't till six."

"It's five fifteen, and we'll be eating early today." Rahne smirked, "The Professor wants you to speak with Warren. The Archangel has already spoken with us, and plans are being made for a field trip."

"A field trip?" Ajax's confused look was rewarded knowing smile by his mother.

* * *

AN: Sorry for the long wait, but life happens. Following is the first info add on.

* * *

MRD - Mutant Resource Department, originally only active in the United States but slowly spread to become an international organization. Founded by Xavier, Moira MacTaggert, and a group known only as the Old Men. The MRD works as a paramilitary group that specializes in monitoring and safeguarding mutants. While formally a government department the eventually became independent with international approval. MRD personnel act with the governmental authority granted to them by the nation they are based in.

The Old Men - A group of humans who were high ranking military, FBI, and CIA agents in the mid to late sixties. They and their descendants formed the backbone and core of the MRD. It was the Old Men who moved to take the MRD international. While able to overrule Xavier's orders they tend to follow his lead.

MRD Officers - High ranking MRD personnel who command the day to day activities of the organization. They take orders directly from The Old Men, and some are in actuality members of The Old Men.

MRD Agents - Primarily noncombatant operatives who normally handle first contact with new mutants and their families. Agents also act as infiltrators and diplomatic liaisons. Though noncombatants they are trained in most weapons use and hand-to-hand tactics. Agents also operate MRD field offices across the globe.

MRD Slicers - Computer specialists who monitor the MRD network, and the internet looking for mention of potential mutant activity. Unlike other branches of the MRD this group is almost fifty fifty between legacy and new blood personel. Some slicers are trained for combat situation and sent out with combat teams.

MRD Troopers - Soldiers recruited from around the world to respond to hostile mutant activity and patrol mutant prisons. Troopers also guard research and training facilities. Each X-team home base is shared with multiple combat teams of troopers who are tasked as support for their assigned X-team. Elite troopers are trained to act as bodyguards for telepaths and other mutants whose powers lack defensive capabilities. X-troopers are trained by X-Factor to take down rogue X-Men, no one knows the identities of these troopers except Xavier and active members of X-Factor.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: Read and Review

* * *

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Warren Worthington III floated above the floor of the danger room as the young shapeshifter ran the circumference dodging laser fire from the rooms auto turrets. Scott and Logan had a rule about underage mutants going on missions, they had to survive a fifteen minute danger room session. So far the kid had gone twelve with only a handful of nonfatal strikes, the Archangel smirked as he fired a wave of feather blades at him.

Ajax surprised the seraph mutant when he dodged the first two feathers before grabbing the second two. He then used the weapons to deflect other incoming blades. One of the deflected blades sliced the power cable on one auto turret, while another spun wildly at Archangel. Warren dodge quickly by gaining altitude, then turned back to see his opponent throw one blade into the barrel of the remaining turret. Looking at the timer hanging above his head the former horseman folded his wings dropping to the floor below.

Scott's voice echoed around the room, "Well done Ajax, you passed the test, though Warren seemed to have taken it easy on you."

Turning to where Cyclops, Rahne and Emma Frost stood Archangel glared, "I'm not a sadist like Logan, and all this training session has done is delayed our departure. The Professor agreed with me, the boy needs to learn his origin...besides I highly doubt we'll run into either Sinister or Apocalypse."

"No, but you're intending to walk into one of Sinister's labs. Who knows what traps he's left behind." Cyclops turned to Emma, "Have you decided who's going with you?"

The White Queen smiled, "Obviously Rahne and Ajax. Warren, Kurt, and James have already agreed to come. Gambit and Rogue have volunteered, and Jubilee will be coming to watch the kids."

"Kids?" Cyclops frowned, "What are you thinking?"

Emma crossed her arms, "Please Scott, you think I would intentionally endanger our students. Gregor is leading the support team, Kelly twisted his arm into letting her go...of course Julian wouldn't pass up a chance to go on an adventure, the little hellion he is. Kurt joining the team of course led to Talia learning about it, she and Megan are already planning to stow away."

"So instead of stopping them we just let them go." Scott shook his head, "I don't like this...surprised you're not including Daken and Laura."

"Oh, I'm sure they would come as well, but there's no way Logan would allowed them anywhere near SHIELD." Emma turned to where Ajax had moved to next to Rahne, "Now I think it's time we all suit up...what's a mission if we're not properly attired."

* * *

-Locker Room-

Ajax stood before the red clad scientist Hank Pym as he explained the new uniform he made for the shapeshifter, "So this stuff will grow when I grow?"

"Exactly," Hank indicated the wristband with a readout, "This monitors the bioenergy your body processes, when you emit the wavelength that stimulates your growth it will stimulate the Pym Particles in the suit, making it adjust to your new size. When the wavelength begins to weaken the suit will return to its normal size." Hank then indicated a series of lights on the wristband, "These lights indicate the strength of your bioenergy. Once all lights go red you have no more bioenergy to use, meaning your healing factor will shut down and you'll return to your normal size. McCoy is still analyzing your powers so I'll keep in contact to make adjustments as needed."

"Umm...thanks for doing this." Ajax rubbed his neck, "Kind of got tired of ruining all my clothes when I lost control."

Pym chuckled, "I know the feeling kid, first time I shrunk to the size of an ant I was standing in my lab in nothing more than my birthday suit. We'll have you squared away before long, and until then this prototype suit will prevent any embarrassing moments."

Turning away from the Avenger Ajax caught a jacket thrown by Julian, "You need to show your colors man." Ajax looked down at his new uniform, which was only a navy jumpsuit. The jacket Julian had tossed to him was a darker shade of navy, almost black, with two bars of yellow running from the waist up over the shoulders on the back the bars proceeded to cross forming the X symbol. Julian nodded as Ajax pulled on the jacket, he was wearing a similar one with the bars in red, "That's just the standard issue we all get," He swept some imaginary dust from his sleeves, "Mine is custom made."

Ajax snorted, "Impressive rich boy, does mommy and daddy dearest know you spend your allowance on tailoring your superhero outfit."

"No, but what would they care." Julian glanced at the Avenger scrutinizing them, "Anything else Doctor, or are we good to go?"

Shaking his head Giant-Man motioned for the door, "Nope, just going to head for the hanger...I'm hitching a ride back to the helicarrier with your group. I'm sure it's going to be a truly educational moment."

* * *

-Hanger-

An X-jet, the smaller and less stealthy cousin to the famed Blackbird. While the Blackbird is the height of aerospace technology, the lesser known X-jets are designed along the same specifications as a SHIELD Quinjet. A versatile transport with minimal arms and stealth capabilities.

Ajax turned his gaze from the jet to the open ceiling, sounds from the school above echoed down to the hanger. Many of the younger kids were probably amazed seeing their basketball courts split open. "Alright, gather around we're already behind schedule." Looking over he saw Warren waiting for everyone to join him.

A squad of MRD troopers stood checking their equipment, he took note of their weapons. These weren't the normal guns the perimeter guards carried or the sidearms the agents hid under their sport coats in the school. High powered energy weapons that could drop mutants like Sabertooth or Strong Guy, they could even make the Blob think twice. Gregor snickered as he saw him watching them, "Don't worry kid," he tapped the sidearm on his hip, "Beast calibrated this one just in case you need a boost."

A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up into the red eyes of Gambit, "Aye, and let's hope we don't need to use it."

Moments later everyone was gathered, Sam and Dani having thrown in last minute. Warren looked everyone over lingering on the five minors clustered in the middle of the group, "As you've all been briefed we're going on a bit of an intelligence gathering operation. About a week ago Ajax and his twin rampaged..." he smirked at the growl and glare from mentioned young mutant, "...well his twin rampaged, Ajax was just following. Anyway their recovery has led to more questions, and those questions beg answering."

The White Queen stepped up, "Our first objective is the SHIELD helicarrier over Manhattan, we'll pick up someone who has some knowledge as to our ultimate destination. After that we will retrace Ajax's path, and hopefully discover what set off his brother's rampage. We have also another task, locate the lab Rahne was taken to."

"This mission isn't expected to turn into a combat situation, but we're not taking any chances." Gregor looked at the kids in the center of the group, "You five are to stick to your guardian or supervisor," he held up five wristbands, "and just in case you get separated we'll be using tracing bands. Be warned if you try removing these without the proper code they'll emit a hypersonic alarm that'll fry most electronics and knock out most organics in a thirty foot radius."

Kelly frowned, "Don't you use these on prisoners?"

Gregor sneered, "While designed for that we learned to utilize the tools at our disposal. My job is to make sure we all make it back in one piece."

"As you said we're not expecting to walk into a combat situation. Though it is always good to be prepared." Emma Frost continued, "Let's load up, sooner we leave the sooner we get back."

(45 Minutes Later; New York Airspace)

Gregor exited the tail section of the jet walking toward the cockpit. As he passed the kids he checked their crash harnesses and tracking bands before moving on. A nod to Archangel he passed the winged mutant and moved to stand behind the pilot and copilot, "We at the coordinates for our rendezvous?"

Checking his instruments the copilot grumbled, "Yes sir, just hovering off Manhattan Island, no sign of the Helicarrier."

Gregor turned as Hank Pym entered the cockpit, "If you don't mind I'll take the controls from here." The three humans shared a look before Gregor motioned for the pilot to surrender his seat. Pym sat down and switched the comms channel as he put on the headset, "Cap you got your ears on? Ant Man to Sky Home One, got some guests who are a bit impatient. Would appreciate it if you'd drop the cloak and open bay three."

The comm crackled to life as Steve Rogers voice responded, "Rodger that Ant Man...we'll be in position in forty seven seconds. Your landing window will be ten point six before the cloak will be reactivated."

"Copy that Cap, see you in a minute." Antman indicated the back section of the jet, "Might want to tell the rest of them to get ready, Fury isn't a man to be kept waiting."

Walking into the back Gregor noticed the younger members of the group watching out the windows their recently checked crash harnesses no longer holding them into their seats. Shaking his head he turned to where White Queen and Archangel were speaking with Nightcrawler. The blue furred teleporter huffed, "The fewer of us who disembark the better...Wanda will no doubt wish to see Talia, we could leave the girls with them until we return to drop of the SHIELD personnel back off."

"And what if she gets called out on Avenger business, who will be here to keep those two out of trouble." White Queen was obviously against leaving any mutant behind on the Helicarrier.

Deciding to add input Gregor answered, "Jubilee and two of my troopers could remain as well, we'd need to leave a small group behind anyway. The jet is already almost at capacity."

"Gregor is right. Rogue and I could fly alongside the jet to decrease the load, but we're still near the threshold on the overload limit with the extra supplies Scott insisted we bring." Archangel glanced toward the kids who were watching the jet enter the Helicarrier hangar bay.

A snarl from Rahne drew their attention toward the back section of the jet where Vision had phased through the tail hatch, "Pardon my intrusion, our sensors detected an anomalous energy reading."

"Sorry, that's the Shi'Ar shield generator. Thought we had it switched off." The Pilot walked over to a console and opening a panel switched off power to an alien device, "You're lucky you didn't try phasing in here when that shield was actually active."

Vision looked nonplused as he turned to the older mutants on the jet, "I would have noticed such an energy field. Fury is waiting for you on the command deck. We ask your MRD forces remain in the hanger."

Gregor was about to object by was preempted by White Queen, "We understand, they will remain in the hanger. Kelly Wainwright though is not officially MRD so will accompany the group meeting with Fury, and have an open communicator to her cousin."

Unable to counter the argument Gregor watched as the android superhero processed the counter and responded, "That will be acceptable. Those not attending the meeting are free to explore unrestricted areas of the carrier. I am told the view from the observation deck is most enjoyable."

(Later)

Ajax followed his mother and the other older mutants through the Helicarrier, Kelly at his side fidgeted as they walked down the metal halls. He could understand her discomfort as his only recollection of SHIELD were blurry memories of their emblem through the tank's glass. That and everyone he trusted disliked them.

They had just reached the command deck when his mental catalogue of scents sent off alarms. Two familiar scents lingered in the air, faint but relatively recent. The aircraft's ventilation swirling it amongst the numerous others. His snarl sent the others on edge, it was his mother who reacted first, "Ajax, what's wrong?"

Growling he resisted the urge to transform, "Two people I recognize their scents...from back then."

"Surprising you can recognize their scents from six years ago, but we were expecting them." Archangel frowned, "From what I've learned they are the only survivors from that encounter."

Entering the bridge they found Nick Fury standing with Captain America and Iron Man. Standing on either side of the two superheros were older SHIELD agents. The one next to Cap was wearing a suit, clean shaven and his brown hair was receding. The one next to Stark wore the standard SHIELD fatigues altered to accommodate cybernetics, he'd long since gone grey in both his mustache and head.

Fury stepped forward, "Welcome to the Helicarrier," He indicated the rest of his group, "You all know Rogers and Stark. The other two are your guides as it were. Phil Coulson and John Garrett, two of my most trusted agents...six years ago they were on an op to root out a Zodiac cell in the Rockies. That op led their team to Sinister's lab, he was apparently supplying them with genetic engineering assistance."

Rhane looked down at Ajax, "He manipulated Ajax's genetic code. He added the genetic material of several other mutants."

"You're lucky he didn't turn him into the monster the others in that lab were." Garrett frowned, "We lost six good men to some sort of fish man, and another to a flying lizard."

White Queen looked to Ajax, "How much older were your two brothers kept in that lab?"

A flash of knowing crossed Ajax's eyes as the programed portion of his mind activated, "Several years...they weren't meant to be released from their tanks. I don't know why, they were just genetic material." With that his eyes returned to normal as he looked at the adults with confusion.

Rhane glared at White Queen, "Emma, please don't do that without warning him. It's hard enough to get him to trust people without you flipping that damn switch at every whim."

"I apologize Rahne, but we needed to know." Frost then turned to Fury, "What happened to those two?"

Fury shook his head, "We don't know. The team removed the tank holding the girl from the lab. Apparently that tripped some sort of security measure that unleashed them. During the ensuing fight the tanks holding the twins were compromised, safety measure on those tanks flushed them into some sort of escape tunnel." Fury looked to Coulson, "Phil shot a tracking round into one of the twins, but it went inactive within minutes."

Archangel nodded, "Their bioenergy can be used to disable electronics and part of their mutation absorbs energy from external sources." He looked over at the agents, "Were you able to tag either of the other two?"

Coulson shook his head, "Couldn't get a clear shot. We pulled out, but that fishman mutant had some sort of venom. The six men he bit all died before we could get them to medical attention. The agent killed by the other one was the last one up the escape route, his back was ripped open by claws. What we pulled up was barely recognizable."

"So you pulled out and never went back?" Archangel was skeptical of that fact.

"Wasn't worth the potential loses." Fury looked toward Ajax, "We also figured Sinister would wipe the site after he recovered his subjects."

Rhane frowned, "So he hasn't?"

"No, our initial survey of the area show zero activity, but the lab is still there." Garrett frowned, "We'll be taking Coulson's team and the bus, your jet doesn't have a cloaking device. Our first drone surveying the lab was shot down by an optical targeting system, the second didn't have a radar scrambler but was equipped with an optical cloak."

Kelly leaned into Ajax, "We're not seriously driving all the way out west are we?"

"Hope not...I don't do well in confined spaces." Ajax rubbed the monitor on his wrist, "We're lucky I'm not shorting out this whole aircraft."

Stark looked down at the young mutant, "Well we did ground your suit. That wrist monitor is powered by your excess bioenergy."

Kelly looked at the monitor, "You have excess bioenergy?"

"Yep, shocked Julian at breakfast this morning while passing him the tongs for the bacon...got Karma when she came to wake mom and me." Ajax snickered, "Also got Mister Worthington during that training session Mister Summers forced me to go through."

Archangel glared, "Yes, and you're lucky I chalk that up to an accidental discharge."

"Come on Warren it can't be that bad. He sleeps at my hip most nights and I haven't even noticed." Rhane shared a knowing look at her son.

White Queen smirked, "Of course not Rahne, seeing as you're blood relatives his powers should have no effect on you."

"Actually it's her healing factor that keeps his powers from effecting her. Neither Ajax or Caine can actually harm anyone with a healing factor." James crossed his arms from the back of the group, "Though I doubt that stops them from feeling the pain of actually getting hit by those bioenergy shocks."

Fury shook his head as he turned to Rogers, "Cap, which Avengers you taking?"

"Scarlet Witch, Vision, Wasp, and Antman should keep us balanced. With Tony and Daisy we should have all our bases covered." He turned as a group of SHIELD agents walked into the room.

Coulson stepped toward them, "Everything ready May?"

"The Bus is prepped for departure. Fitz and Simmons are escorting their team from the Observation Deck. Triplette is getting the others from the hanger." Agent Melinda May said as she came to flank Coulson.

Phil indicated the three agents, "This is part of my team, my second-in-command Agent May. Our specialist Agent Ward, he's not much of a people person. Last, but not least, our computer specialist Agent Daisy Johnson."

It was James who noticed the arm bracers on the young woman named Daisy, "You have powers?"

The underlying tension in the room rose as Daisy rubbed her arms, "Yes..." She looked between Cap and Coulson who both nodded, turning back to the mutants she dropped her arms and stood as tall as she could, "I'm an Inhuman."

The resulting reaction was immediate. White Queen activated her diamond skin and moved to separate the children, while the others took aggressive stances. Kelly slipped behind Ajax as he gained mass and reverted to his four-legged state.

On the other side of the room the SHIELD agents and Avengers moved into a defensive formation. Tony with his repulsors aimed at a hovering Archangel huffed, "What the heck? All she said was she's an Inhuman."

"That's kinda the point...Mutants and Inhumans are like oil and water." Fury, the only agent not to pull a weapon stepped into the no man's land between the two groups, "Quake isn't a threat to you...she's an outcast to both those who follow the Royal Family's Laws and those of the splinter group."

Archangel landed but kept his wings at the ready, "You'll have to forgive our reaction, but our last encounter with her kind left our home in ruins and several of our people dead."

"Really? That mansion of yours gets demolished at least once a year." Stark winced as every mutant's gaze landed on him.

It was a disembodied voice that responded, Professor Xavier's mental projection appearing next to his X-Men, "The damage or destruction of our home matters little. In that misguided attack Black Bolt killed five children himself. That doesn't include all the others killed by him and his Royal Guard."

Daisy winced at the mention of the King's attack on the X-Mansion. It had been her mother and father who instigated the attack, planting evidence the X-Men were planning to aid in overthrowing the Inhuman Royals. Black Bolt had attacked feeling he was justified, not knowing the target of his aggression was a school.

She may be an outcast to her people, but Medusa had told her that didn't mean she couldn't be loyal to them. Swallowing the lump in her throat she spoke up, "He didn't know it was a school."

Every eye in the room landed on her, "What do you mean?" The hard edge in White Queen's voice even unnerved the children she was shielding.

"Black Bolt didn't know it was a school when they attacked...hell he didn't even know what a school was then." Daisy looked to May who nodded for her to continue, "After I gained my powers the Royal Guard detected me, the Queen told me about the attack...and how neither side has really tried to talk."

Warren glared at her as his wings retracted, "I don't like this, but we're on a clock."

"You're right," Fury turned and walked out of the no-man's land, "Wheels up in five."

* * *

AN: So welcome Phil Coulson and John Garrett to the stage. Some notes Coulson will basically be the same as from the Cinematic Universe but altered a bit to fit into this reality. Garrett will be a combination of his comic and television incarnations. No Hydra infiltration in this story.

AN2: Thought I'd get further in this chapter, but it got a little long so next chapter the field trip continues.


End file.
